I'm sorry, I just don't get it. Why protest someone else's rally?

[basselope]

I am no fan of Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich or even Clinton for that matter.. but in a million years, I would never consider going to one of their rallies for the purpose of causing disruption or protesting.

I would consider taking up residence across the street from the rally with signs.. but to actually go into a campaign rally with the intent to disrupt it... I just don't get it.

I feel like all you wind up doing is reinforcing support for that candidate among the people who were there AND the people who were thinking about the candidate... they see the stuff on TV and they become invested... "they" are trying to stop our candidate from spreading their message. "They" are trying to take my country away from me.

I get protesting a president, a senator, a congressperson who is actually making policy.. but right now this candidate (or any candidate) is just making noise. It may be noise we completely disagree or find incendiary.. but taking over the rally and shouting doesn't change anyone's vote. I feel like it has the opposite effect.

I understand the motivation behind it.. people want to protest a racist, spreading stupidity and hatred.. but I feel like those involved are just giving him a better chance at winning.

[TwilightGardener]

1. You can loudly protest outside, or attend inside in quiet defiance--both are fine.

I am not a fan of disruption, no matter who's speaking, no matter who's disrupting.

[ripcord]

72. The worst part is that he will probably get a bump in the polls

[daleanime]

2. It's pretty much only recently that the protest have been going on...

so what was fueling his 'campaign' before?

[yourout]

3. This is a different situation. This is some seriously

F..ed up poison being spread around and should be condemned in a LOUD manner.

[polly7]

69. If this was up here, he was running for PM and spewing so much hate and I was

near enough - I would definitely have been one of those protesting inside. Letting him go unchallenged in front of so many people just aching to have their hatred validated by a possible leader is dangerous and even I fear what he'll do to the U.S. and the world. I was actually happy to see so many there disrupting his hate speech.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

4. Because the candidate is a lunatic that will do catastrophic damage to the country and world.

That is not embellishment. We have issues that need to be addressed immediately and someone like Trump as president could lead to a dystopian future and a dying human race.

I disagree with you that we are giving him a better chance of winning. He needs more attention. There are racists and xenophobes in our country who can't wait to vote for him, but there are many potential voters who do not know much about him who will vote against him once they see who he is.

[IsItJustMe]

38. I absolutely agree with you. In normal times and with somewhat normal

candidates, it would be different. There is no doubt in my mind that Trump will destroy this country, from the foundation up.

These are not normal times and Trump is a very un-normal candidate.

I wonder how different our world would be now if Germans stopped Hitler before he ever got started. These are strange days indeed.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

40. Like they say "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

My bets are on people in power who know history and will do what needs to be done regardless of the idiots Trump gets to support him.

[Merryland]

57. I hope you are right. n/t

[Buzz Clik]

5. You need to watch this:

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/escalating-aggression-marks-trump-s-rhetoric-642743363967

Maddow explains it very well.

[basselope]

24. I'm stuck in a chicken / egg situation here.

Most political rallies I have gone to have been 100% supporters of the candidate and IF there are any protests.. they are outside.

I have never personally been to a political candidate rally where people are inside and actively trying to disrupt it. I've seen activities at presidential addresses or actual people in office speaking.. but not at candidate rallies.

I can't help but remember this incident at Real Time:

?t=47s Bill Maher, when someone several people interrupted the show with 9/11 copnspiracy theories... Bill got up and said, I'm going to have kick his ass out of here and then goes on to push the guy up the stairs (and it looks like he falls). If you watch the whole clip at the end when the final person speaks up he says "don't be gentle with him... ass kicking is what's called for"

?t=4m19s

I don't remember people calling for Bill Maher to be fired for that or there being much uprising about it. Most people understood that someone interrupted a live show and needed to be kicked out of the audience.

For some reason this political season (and maybe it happened in years i wasn't involved, as I haven't been actively involved since 2003... but it seems like so many campaign rallies are being interrupted. BLM interrupting Bernie and Clinton. MANY protesters at Trump rallies... some intentionally trying to incite the audience. Now, both Clinton and Sanders handled it non-violently.. Trump, not so much. But, my question is ... WTF.

I'm Jewish (not practicing, but its more of a race than religion). There is 0 chance I would go to some Nazi gathering and hold up a sign telling them to all go fuck themselves. Now, IF those Nazi's were actually DOING something other than sitting around and talking about their idiotic views, that is a different story. But, if they want to go sit in a room and watch old film of Hitler speak... have a freakin party.

If a bunch of morons want to gather together to listen to Trump spout. Whatever.

However, once someone walks into one of those places with the intent to disrupt it.. I don't totally understand their goal and what they hope to accomplish, except may to show that some of Trump's followers (or many) are racist violent A-holes? We knew that and I didn't need to see some hayseed punch an AA to believe it.

HOWEVER... many people see that clip and see the AA giving the crowd the finger and thing "Good, he deserved it".. so I feel like, in the end, they are just fanning the flames rather than actually making a statement.

[Ms. Yertle]

53. The likelihood of Trump being elected is

zero, zip, zilch, nada.

Meanwhile, the First Amendment is on the line. Lots of people here have been comparing Trump supporters to brownshirts, but I think it's just the opposite. I think anyone who wants to shut down another person's (even Trump's) freedom to speak, or his supporters' right to assemble peacefully, is much more of a brown shirt than those they oppose.

The protesters need to remember that what goes around comes around. Their rights could be just as easily violated when the shoe is on the other foot.

The place to protest is at the ballot box, not at someone else's campaign event.

[truedelphi]

108. Trump's Chances of "Winning" the election are whatever the Powers That Be

want them to be.

We saw what happened in 2000, and in 2004 it was even worse. In the wee hours after the election, Andy Card, George W's Chief of Staff, announced the results of the election to the Mainstream Media, and the Mainstream Media, enthralled by the Bush Family and Corporate America, diligently reported the "win."

And gullible Americans never wondered why this was done that way. Voting activists "got it" but most of the rest of America didn't even realize that election had been stolen.

[JFKDem62]

126. I wonder what the PTB think of Trump who may not be as controllable as Bush was.

Bush is lazy and a severe alcoholic.
He was easy to manipulate and dupe so Cheney could run the show.

Trump is much more of a wild card.

[raging moderate]

6. Be careful out there, you guys. You are precious to us oldsters.

You hold the hope for the future. But, when you fight a monster, you must take care that you do not accidentally become a monster yourself.

Also, many of these people like to hurt other people physically. Just be careful, okay?

[Euphoria]

17. Agreed. On both points: Don't mimic the "monster" and be careful out there. n/t

[Cleita]

7. I have to admit, while listening to Trump's horrible, surreal speech today,

I had a secret desire that the flames spewing out of his mouth would set off the sprinkler system. Too bad he's not a dragon for real.

[Firebrand Gary]

8. K&R

[Albertoo]

9. Thanks for some sanity on the topic

[noretreatnosurrender]

10. It only helps him

We know that the corporate controlled media is much more afraid of Sanders getting elected than Trump. We've already seen them start twisting what happened. The more protests inside the stadium the worse the blowback. I hope people understand that getting the vote out to get the best candidate to oppose him in November is far more productive in defeating him. Think strategically. Don't give him something where he can deflect attention away from himself. Don't give the media a chance to make his supporters look like the injured parties. You know the corporate controlled media will do this. Don't give them that chance.

[RobertEarl]

11. those involved are just giving him a better chance at winning.

I don't think they are "... just giving him a better chance at winning. "

It is going to shut him up. He wants to talk about violence, it his choice. As long as he elicits violence he's just asking to be shut up.

I get that some of you want to sit on the sidelines and tell activists what they should do. Yall feel all high and mighty that way. But the activists don't care, so you're just wasting time and efforts.

[questionseverything]

21. people here having fainting spells over some signs and chanting huh?

i was proud of the young people of illinois

trump has a right to say what he wants but they have the right to tell him they no agree

and trumps attitude was all different today,saying don't hurt em as protesters were walked out

[socialist_n_TN]

63. "trump has the right to say what he wants, but........

they have the right to tell him they no agree" Yep, that is the essence of "free speech". Nobody in government is telling Donnie what he can or can't say, but the people who oppose what he's saying can damn well tell him that. Forcefully.

[TM99]

12. Did you and do you support BLM?

Did you make these same comments after NN15? Seattle, where two stormed the podium where Sanders was speak? The Mall of America?

This younger generation, and many of the protesters last night were BLM supporters including this kid from today with the SS, are burning a lot of wood.

If you have supported them and those tactics, then you have your answer as to why.

[basselope]

27. Yes, although I don't think I was on this board at the time.

Although they weren't in the same context. I didn't approve of the young woman interrupting Hillary's rally (more of a gathering) either.

I don't believe either action changed anyone's opinion, but instead just made people dig their heels in deeper.

When BLM interrupted Bernie, some Bernie supporters got ANGRY at BLM.. same with Clinton. I doubt there is a single voter who said... Hmmm they make a good point, i am going to vote Bernie instead.

[cheapdate]

34. Easy. I support the things that matter to me

and I oppose the things that don't.

I supported Occupy Wall Street in every way because I supported the cause wholeheartedly. I didn't support "Occupy Malheur Wildlife Refuge" because I didn't support their "cause" in any way.

[deathrind]

56. He did not mean.

Bureau of Land Management at least I don't think so.

[cheapdate]

70. It's exactly the same principle

Last edited Mon Mar 14, 2016, 12:25 AM - Edit history (1)

whether it's #BlackLivesMatter or Bureau of Land Management.

[truedelphi]

110. See, this is why some of us hate acronyms so much.

I think of BLM As meaning Bureau of Land Management, due to all the environmental reports I have read over the decades.

Black Lives Matter is the full three words, to me. (I support Black Lives Matter, but after two concussions my brain doesn't get things correctly and adapt to new meanings for old acronyms.)

On a board wherein things get so contentious, it would be good if folks spelled things out.

[deathrind]

114. Could not agree more.

I did the same thing for quite some time Having dealt with the Bureau of Land Management for several years it took a while to readjust my thought process when seeing BLM mentioned on this site the first several times.

[Gregorian]

13. It's the smart/humane people's way of policing society.

I've always thought that this citizen driven feedback is the way to let people know what is acceptable and not.

[jillan]

14. CNN played a clip earlier today of a young father that lived in the neighborhood where Trump was to

have his rally.
He attended the protest because he did not want Trump's brand of hatred brought into his neighborhood.

Still trying to find the clip....

Hope that helps you understand.

[Iggo]

15. I accept your apology.

[Rebkeh]

16. Silence will not protect you

If you see something, say something, otherwise you help the wrong people. There is no neutral in some things, there just isn't. Silence is compliance when dealing with bigots.

On the contrary, you don't reinforce anything, the only people you may lose were already lost anyway. This stuff is personal for some of us, not some abstract idea. You have to find a way to get in the way, that's the whole point. You have to disrupt the comfortable, or you will be ignored, overlooked, cast aside and forgotten. Change never comes from asking politely for justice. I do believe in non-violence, but I also believe in confrontation. Conflict, done right, can be constructive. Done wrong, destructive. But avoiding it helps no one.

You may not see it that way, I'm just answering your question.

Not sure how it gives him a better chance at winning. "They," people like me, are already "them," otherized anyway. It makes no difference. People on the fence are not going to dictate my life, they are not going to silence us. I am not going to parse my words, deny myself full expression so they feel comfortable about doing the right thing. You see how that empowers them? See how that disempowers us? Not gonna happen.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. People said the same about the Nazis

and yes, the comparison is exactly that.

[dogman]

25. This is it exactly.

Everyone asks how the German people allowed it to happen. We know there is no freedom of speech claim for someone yelling fire in a theater. That is what is happening and I feel these protestors are acting as first responders to douse the flames of hatred spewing from his mouth. They did not disrupt his speech, he cancelled it and has repeatedly lied about it since.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Yup, and a few bernie people in a coaltion of hundreds

I am astounded how fast the media can manipulate people. I mean we point to it, and people still fall for it

[dogman]

30. The anti-Trump rally was an event posted on Facebook when it was first announced.

People came from all over and they also included protestors with local causes for the neighborhood. The local NBC reporter Ahern told Maddow that she believed the crowd was 60% protestors to 40% trumpers. Bernie was holding a rally in a near suburb with thousands of supporters at the same time frame. One reporter claimed the Trump event was at a different college than it was. The fog of war I guess.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. YUP... but I found more details on what happened

in a Mexico City paper... ah role reversals... it is weird.

[Hekate]

47. There's an article online in the Los Angeles Times about how the protest was organized

Sorry for the lack of link-- when I use the iPad mini the url doesn't show up, but you should be able to locate it pretty readily.

It wasn't in this morning's print version, which was a wtf, but it popped up from Smart News a couple of hours ago.

[nadinbrzezinski]

54. LA is closed enough to the invisible barrier

that they know at times better.

Willing to bet that the UT San Diego (owned by the same company) will not run such an article even though they are that much closer to the border.

The LA Times is also serving a majority minority community.

That said, I found boatloads of information in The Universal. I know what a controlled press system looks like. I grew up in one... and we are seeing a hell of a role reversal. It has gotten to the point that yes, I check foreign media to see what is happening in the US. Our media is that controlled, thanks Bill Clinton for the Telecom Act of 1996... though not by the state. A controlled media, is a controlled media though.

[basselope]

28. Didn't he end up with MORE coverage as a result?

All I have heard on the news the last day or so is about this cancelled speech and then today how they had to "protect" him.

Trump is being turned into the VICTIM.

I also (currently) reject the Nazi comparison for one reason. This is JUST a campaign. No action is being taken. IF Trump gets into office and starts trying to enact his policies, then I am all for resistance and disruption.

What happened in Germany is once the Nazi's got into power (with a plurality vote if I remember my history correctly), everyone just kinda went along with it. That is where, to me, it all went wrong. The people of Germany (the majority who weren't for the Nazi party) THEN needed to stand up and say NO.

[dogman]

32. If you reject the National Socialist comparison,

how about the Italian people accepting Mussolini? I believe that the price this Country payed to fight fascism is reason enough to call him out now. That is what made America great in the eyes of the world and when it's here, it's likely to late.

[basselope]

36. YES.. Call him out!

I'm all for calling him out.

Call into radio shows.. write articles. Buy air time. Donate to Anti-Trump Pacs.

But, to me there is a difference between "calling him out" and going to one of his rallies for the sole purpose of disruption.

I just don't understand the end goal of that.

That's all I'm saying. It feels like wasted time and energy that only winds up helping him get more positive coverage.

[LanternWaste]

81. you are fundamentally unaware of the purpose of a protest?

"I just don't understand the end goal of that..."

For clarification: on an academic level, you are fundamentally unaware of the purpose of a protest, or you simply do not empathize with the action?

[basselope]

82. Yes, very aware.

And they are not achieving that goal. They are achieving the opposite of the purpose of a protest.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. Part of the problem is that none teaches

the resistance to the rise of the Third Reich, which incidentally looked like this.

Ok, replace Communist Party, Socialists and labor for BLM, Muslim students, and Hispanic Students. (We had a wider coalition). But people were resisting in the 1920s.

You might not accept the comparison, but anybody schooled in the rise of the Third Reich, or a series of other fascist governments, including Italy for example, this looks oddly familiar.

Look, I am running pieces that if Trump decides to go after media... we might be in trouble ok. But quite frankly, staying quiet is not a choice. As to the victim comment... well, not all goes exactly as it did in Nazi Germany. But the echoes are there. Oh and the Nazis did not have the SS protecting Adolph, they had the SA, and the SA did take Der Fuehrer out.

When Hitler was released, he formed his own private army called Sturm Abteilung (Storm Section). The SA (also known as stormtroopers or brownshirts) were instructed to disrupt the meetings of political opponents and to protect Hitler from revenge attacks. Captain Ernst Röhm of the Bavarian Army played an important role in recruiting these men, and Hermann Goering, a former air-force pilot, became their leader.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/nsdap.html

This is not the best of sources, but this is so basic. I recommend getting a copy of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and cuddling up to it. It still is a solid introduction.

[basselope]

43. I am not suggesting anyone stay quiet...

I am just saying that MAYBE there are better ways than actively going into a rally and disrupting it.

The news coverage makes it out to be that Trump is a victim of these "thugs" (his words, not mine).

[Hekate]

37. You are so wrong. When "they" attain the levers of government power it is TOO LATE.

Trump is not being "turned into" any kind of "victim" in anyone's eyes but yours.

He has been calling for violence for months and months, and cheering on the small acts of violence at his rallies. He lies about it every single time, claiming the protesters were flailing about and hitting people, when they were not. Trump wWELCOMES violence, he keeps telling his mobs to hit people, beat them up, throw them out in the snow coatless, even contemplate murder. It's on camera, for gods' sake.

Trump is working up to the big payoff: a full blown riot at one of his rallies, that he can then twist and lie about and USE in his hateful propaganda. There was no need for him to cancel this event -- nobody at the police department even suggested it.

But Trump knew exactly what he was doing and what he wanted to say about it. So he made sure his supporters were all juiced up and then pulled the plug on his event, pointing the finger of blame right at all the people he and his supporters hate. We are just lucky it didn't go really bad after that.

Personally I think it is high time for masses of people to revolt against Trump, and I think these students are off to a good start. It's going to be dangerous and protesters are going to have to organize something fierce. But it has to be done.

[Hekate]

19. Silence is consent, when faced with evil.

Even the GOP finally awoke to the fact that Trump is not a joke, Trump is not a candidate, Trump is a wrecking ball. Trump's place in American politics right now is as serious as a heart attack.

[LittleBlue]

20. I get protesting, but why bring Bernie signs?

Bringing the signs makes it look like a political thing rather than a human rights/decency thing. This used to be about Trump's dehumanizing language.

Was a big mistake to confuse the message by making it about a rival candidates rather than having something with a universal appeal. Now he just stands there and calls us "commies" while playing the victim card.

[questionseverything]

23. politics should be about human rights and decency

bernie is that so his signs are a natural fit


let trump say what he wants


if you live your life doing what the bully wants you live under tyranny

[Jim Beard]

42. Makes one wonder if they were really Sanders supporters

[6000eliot]

45. I think the protests were at least partially organized by the Republican establishment.

They gave the protestors the signs because they were never known for subtlety.

[Erose999]

87. Bernie and Trump are often covered in the same breath by the likes of NPR, so maybe the protesters

were trying to draw a distinction between Bernie and Trump.

[backscatter712]

22. If you're polite, you get ignored. Disruption is absolutely necessary.

The media and the elites have made sure that anyone doing protests the legal and nice way, just standing on corners and waving at cars and the like get completely ignored.

You have to disrupt to get your message through. There's no other way.

[Iggo]

29. Yup.

[xloadiex]

35. Has anyone investigated to make sure these are indeed Bernie supporters? n/t

[m-lekktor]

39. "Why didn't Rosa Parks just sit in the back of the bus, I don't get it!11"

"I am no fan of racists BUT..."

[basselope]

46. No.. no.. no TOTALLY different.

As I said before, there is a HUGE difference between protesting LAWS, ACTIONS, etc.. vs going into a political rally (or a live TV show) and disrupting it.

Rosa Parks was protesting an unjust law. When Gore was denied the presidency, I was in the streets for weeks protesting, helping block traffic, etc. Same with the Iraq war... so I am ALL FOR disruptive protest when there is an actual harm.

Right now, people are just gathering to watch an idiot speak. There is no actual consequence of that, unless he is inciting them to riot.. which for all his bluster, he isn't really saying "Go out and find someone to beat up". He isn't saying anything different than Bill Maher said when people interrupted his show (

?t=4m16s)

[mwrguy]

41. Some speech cannot be tolerated

It's as simple as that.

[Ms. Yertle]

50. Wrong.

The First Amendment applies equally to all speech. If you get to decide that someone else's speech "cannot be tolerated," what are you going to do when someone else decides the same about your speech?

[Smarmie Doofus]

55. +1. Exactly. nt

[840high]

66. Well put.

[AgadorSparticus]

88. Not entirely true. 1st amendment does not cover ALL speech if it incites social harm.

I am surprised not more has been said to Trump about his incindiary comments at his rallies.

[Luminous Animal]

97. There is a wide difference between banned and tolerated.

There are plenty of bigots who do not tolerate my unbigoted speech. And I do not expect them to.

And no. The first Amendment only applies to government.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

71. How very fascist. n/t

[Abq_Sarah]

130. And who gets to decide?

Will you be the arbiter of acceptable political speech?

You know we have an amendment in the bill of rights that deals with this?

[6000eliot]

44. Because you don't want facism to come to this country?

[basselope]

48. So take me on this journey...

People show up and interrupt his rally and this stops fascism how?

He gets MORE news coverage. He gets to set the message "these thugs wouldn't let me speak and I wanted to keep people safe so I cancelled the rally"

The same time an energy could have been done by talking to reporters outside the rally, gathering across the street with LARGER NUMBERS than showed up to see him speak, so the media would look over and say "wait.. 20K people inside, 40K people over there... let's talk about that".

I just don't see how A (causing him to cancel a free campaign event where he isn't raising money) leads to B (fascism has been stopped).

[840high]

49. I don't like it when we

try to decide who gets to speak. I don't like crashing rallies.

[questionseverything]

64. evil triumphs when good people do nothing

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

[840high]

65. Quite familiar with that. I feel

freedom of speech is for everyone - not just people we agree with.

[questionseverything]

67. his freedom of speech was not denied at worst it was delayed

holding signs that say

LOVE TRUMPS HATE

denies no one anything

the protesters also have freedom of speech

[840high]

68. and? I agree - both

sides have a right.

[TalkingDog]

51. Oh... I dunno.... Fascism?

"In London in October, 1936, people of good will and courage stopped a Fascist parade in a Jewish neighborhood in London. Leftists, English, Scottish and Welsh trade unionists, and Irish dockers(longshoremen), among many others, joined the residents of Cable Street to stop the "Black Shirts", the British Union of Fascists led by former MP Oswald Mosley, from marching and violently attacking the neighborhood's inhabitants. Shortly afterwards, the BUF went into decline and collapse.

The event is known in Britain, to this day, as "The Battle of Cable Street"."

[Crunchy Frog]

116. Stopped violent attacks.

Not simple speech.

[TalkingDog]

117. Yes. Apples and apples.

Protests against hate speech with counter speech.

Protest against hate action with counter action.


I'm not sure how this is unclear to you.

But in group psychology NOT speaking out against those things "normalizes" them. It makes them okay. If you are interested in how that works in the real world, look at all the reports of younger people, little children and adolescents mimicking Trumps (and their parents) ideas. Kids telling other kids they'll be deported when Trump is elected.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-trump-effect-is-contaminating-our-kids--and-could-resonate-for-years-to-come/2016/03/07/594a7f46-e47a-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html

^ THIS is why you protest. Because hate speech is not simple speech. It has ramifications.
Protesting shows children, at least, that this is not acceptable. At least not to everyone.

[Crunchy Frog]

120. Stopping people from violently attacking other people vs stopping people from speaking.

As odious as that speech may be.

And for the record, I'm in favor of protesting Trump, just not doing it in such a way that it strengthens him by playing into his narrative.

I'm not discussing this issue any further because nuanced discussion on here doesn't seem to be possible.

If you want to get in the last word, you're welcome to it.

[TalkingDog]

124. Thank you. Very kind

Nobody has prevented Trump from speaking. Not once.

He could have gone ahead with the Chicago rally. HE choose not to.

Your "nuance" consists of "people should be allowed to say whatever they want". And ideally, that's true. But in the Real World, the radical freedom to say and do whatever you like, has to be counterbalanced against the potential for harm.

Anyone with half a brain can see the path Trump wants to take us down. History has shown us this script and SPOILER ALERT, it ends ugly. So, while I may never have the chance to go back in time and kill Hitler as a baby, I sure as Hell can protest an adult Donald Trump with mere words.

[catrose]

52. Wasn't it scheduled for a university campus?

Students told the administration that they didn't feel safe with the noise (and possible violence) from this candidate. The protest movement grew from there.

Someone who teaches there posted that it's not an academic exercise to her and her students. Looking at other Trump rallies, they (not a white cis male among them) felt threatened.

[Bestuserever]

58. People don't realize that protesting speeches helps the candidates rather than hurting them

[olddots]

59. what ever is convenient ?

[magical thyme]

60. Agreed. Hold your counter-protest across the street. or even better

go to a Bernie rally. It was right on the other side of town.

Trump is an attention-whore. They're just feeding him more attention when withholding attention would serve their purpose better.

[Agnosticsherbet]

61. I remember Bush and "Free speech zones" or "First ammendment zones"

I am sure Trump would be happy set those up, in the name of public safety of course.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

62. Why DO people protest Klan rallies?

Seems to be the question?

[basselope]

75. Do they?

I've heard of people gather when the klan is marching and standing along the march with signs. But, I haven't heard of people infiltrating kkk rallies for the sole purpose of disrupting them and if they did.. what would they gain as a result?

The next time Joel Osteen comes to town, if I gathered up a few thousand people who were anti religion and we all went and disrupted the event people would probably look at US as the bad guys, even though I see people like Joel Osteen as the bad guy who is ripping people off by selling them a fairy tale.


Here's the big question that no one has really answered yet.


To what end? What are they hoping to accomplish.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

80. The gay community had a slogan during the early AIDS years. 'Silence = Death'.

When you stand by and do nothing, you help evil to continue, just as the Reagans did. Godwin or not, Trump and his followers are eerily similar to the rise of Hitler in the 1930s. And part of saying 'Never Again' is NOT simply letting him continue to preach racism and hatred without standing face to face and showing his followers that they do NOT have the support of the 'silent' majority. That society rejects them and rejects their message of hatred.

[basselope]

83. There is a world of difference between silence and disrupting a rally.

Even Bernie spoke out against actions like this.

I am all for protests. Get on picket lines across the street from the rally, but that is very different than going into an event with the intent to disrupt the event.

[Luminous Animal]

98. Where do you stand on the issue of sitting at a lunch counter where you are not wanted.

That certainly disrupted business. Likely lost them money while the protest was going on.

As a result of protest and government action, Lester Maddox closed his restaurant rather than serve black people.

[basselope]

99. I'm all for it!

I'm all for boycotting business that are actively treating people unfairly or disrupting businesses that are doing so (within the confines of the law). So, I am not for launching a DDoS attack on a candidates website to stop them from being able to accept donations. BUT, if a campaign website had a message board and you want to post messages explaining why you disagree with that candidate... AWESOME. However, should we flood Donald Trumps's FB page or website with garbage just to create chaos?

I just believe there are ways to protest that help and ways to protest that hurt your goal.

Actively shutting down another candidates political rally hurts your goal far more than it helps.

[jberryhill]

105. No, it didn't disrupt business

The decision to disrupt business was made by those who decided not to serve the customers sitting at the counter.

If they had simply taken orders, delivered food, and collected payment, there would be no disruption of business.

The people at the lunch counter were there to CONDUCT business, not disrupt it.

[liberal_at_heart]

73. Protests are not always pretty. Remember the 60's? Nothing pretty about those protests. Those in

power don't give up power without a fight.

[basselope]

74. What is the power here?

This is a candidate. He has no power to enact any law or sign any legislation.

All people are doing by disrupting rallies is giving him publicity.

[Hekate]

79. The power of the mob. The power of his money. The power of the broadcast media that enables him.

You are really clinging to this illusion you have that he's harmless doing what he's doing. I am getting the strong impression that you know nothing of the true history of the rise of fascism in Europe.

[basselope]

84. Do you not understand you are giving him MORE power?

Disrupting the rally in Chicago gave him MORE air time, MORE interviews and worse.. MORE sympathy.

Why more sympathy? because suddenly the good guys look like the bad guys.

[Hekate]

85. I disagree strongly. He already had that, huckster that he is. Untold million$ in free air time....

....over the past 9 months. Free air time, and incitement to riot without consequences to him.

As to your inability to see what's in front of you -- or at least so you insist here at DU -- your concern is duly noted.

[basselope]

89. Disrupting his rally bought him sympathy he didn't otherwise have.

Yes, he already had free airtime and all that.

Yet, people just gave him more and probably more votes as a result.

There is a reason why Bernie Sanders said people shouldn't protest that way.

[jberryhill]

106. I remember them, do you?

Do you remember this:

Donald Trump is not IN a position of power.

The perception of chaos, however, leads a good many voters to cast their vote for someone who will first of all "restore order."

[Todays_Illusion]

76. I think it is very important to protest the rise of someone you believe is a danger to our nation as

the nation we are, and that is divided but still somewhat together. I think it is important to protest someone who's ideas are not only repellent but dangerous

[silvershadow]

77. Some are just paid political hacks. nt

[HuckleB]

78. .

[Hekate]

86. Two days-plus of this nonsense. I see that you are concerned about Trump. Very concerned.

Your concern is duly noted.

[basselope]

90. More concerned about what people are doing to help him.

[Matrosov]

91. To show hate speech has consequences

Even the other Republican candidates pointed out Trump brought these protests on himself.

Of course the committed Trump supporters are going to be even more resolved now, but hopefully it helped show some who were sitting on the fence how sick people are of Trump's constant hateful rhetoric.

[KamaAina]

92. Because he's a flippin' fascist!

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Crunchy Frog]

93. Agree. And worse than that, it ends up

creating a justification for them to behave the same way at our rallies. And they will behave in a far more violent, brownshirt manner.

I don't see any upsides to this at all.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

94. are you white?

[Hekate]

95. At this point, I think he's just concerned. I feel his concern radiating through my screen...

If you know what I mean.

[basselope]

102. What I find funny is how most of the posts here

AND the statement from Bernie say the same thing I am saying.

So, yes, i am concerned. I am concerned that some nut jobs are going to ruin Bernie's chances by pulling stunts like this and making us all look bad.

[basselope]

100. In what way does it matter?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

104. Trump is not an existential threat to white people. Hence, it matter a lot.

Unarmed white kids are not routinely being shot down in the streets by cops.

it matters in understanding why POC may decide to disrupt an event, even if it causes them actual physical harm.

Race shapes our perspective of what is important often, hence race is never a non trivial matter in politics/worldviews.

[basselope]

111. Trump is an existential threat to America in many ways.

Unfortunately, some people are helping him along by disrupting his events and giving him even MORE news coverage, where he gets to portray the people disrupting his events and thugs and bullies who are trying to take away his god given right to free speech... Let's forget the fact that 99% of the people don't understand that free speech only applies to government stopping it and just focus on how people who choose to engage in disruptive behavior at his rallies are actually helping to FEED HIS NARRATIVE.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

113. so you say. i say the protestors put themselves at GREAT personal risk to expose

trump rallies for what they are, which are white supremacists rallies.

you didn't answer my question, but every once in a while people should question if their race/gender/sexuality is shaping their perspective. as a person, who trump is not calling a thug or a rapist, it's easy to see why this is just about primary coverage to some groups, but a very different type of threat to others.

[basselope]

115. The guy who showed up in the "just love each other" t-shirt or something similar did very well.

Non disruptive and showcased it PERFECTLY, because they kicked him out due to the color of his skin and the message on his t-shirt.

The people who burst into the rally and started chanting, so much so that they had to shut down the rally for "security risks" had exactly the opposite effect.

Rosa Parks refused to get up. A man (I believe you mentioned earlier) sat at a counter where they wouldn't serve black people. They got their point across perfectly without being intentionally disruptive.

There are ways of protesting that bring attention to an issue and ways of protesting that do more harm than good.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

118. again, i think your race is affecting your perspective on how you view these protests

when the media/people (including liberal) ignore your concerns, you make noise because that's what you have. if you didnt everyone would be more than happy to ignore your very existence.

[basselope]

123. It's the passive, non-violent protests that have been the most effective.

There is a visceral human response to be turned off too the person starting the trouble. That doesn't change based on race.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

129. Being loud is not the same as violence

Non violent protests are not the same as quiet protests

[basselope]

131. Yes, it is.

And that is how it has been portrayed and will continue to be portrayed.

[jberryhill]

107. Is Ben Carson white?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

112. no, but he's also not a democrat confused about protesters at trump events.

[Macattack1]

96. Dumb tactic

it just makes those doing it look scary to middle America,(charging a stage? ya..that looks real intelligent)..and helps Trump. Dumb-dumb-dumb..

[hfojvt]

101. gotta express your hate somehow

plus, I guess you then become some kind of hero in the eyes of some.

[peace13]

103. Think about it...

...they ejected a guy with a shirt that read'love is the answer'! Voters have a right to hear from the candidates! They ejected peaceful people. What can we expect if he wins?

[Omaha Steve]

109. In 2005 W wanted to cut Social Security

You bet I went and protested when he was in town. They kept us a good distance away in the free speech zone.

OS

[B Calm]

119. You would never see Bernie doing that to Trump!

[jwirr]

121. Why? Well let me see - Hitler rose to power just this way.

Through political means. No one protested him or his ideas. He won.

Why? So this cannot happen here. So people can see that we oppose his ideas

We would still be in Vietnam if not for protest. Women and black people would not have the vote if not for protest. In fact our own revolutionary war started with a protest in Boston.

I cannot for the life of me understand why we should let trump stand up there unopposed as he continues to collect his followers around him. He is dangerous to all of us.

[MuttLikeMe]

122. Did you ask that same question about the hecklers at Obama's rallies?

No? Didn't think so.

[ScreamingMeemie]

125. Because if you don't stand up to hate, you are doing nothing to stop it.

[disillusioned73]

127. I disagree..

the protesters are shining a spotlight on a candidate that is unfit for the office of President.. and I think that is a good thing... hell, it even forced the media(some) to actually start asking tougher questions about his irresponsible rhetoric..

Protesting outside is all well and good - but what number would it take for anybody (media specifically) to take notice.. I thank Chicago for their repudiation of Trumps rhetoric and I hope other cities follow suit.. although it looks like they are significantly limiting access to his events now..

jmo

[TeddyR]

128. These protests accomplished two things

Reinforced the belief of Trump's supporters that Trump is the right person for the job and bumped Trump's national polling numbers to their highest level ever. So yeah, the protesters actually damaged their cause by acting the way they did.