No Kings Day - Report From Indy and A Post About Its Success

Even in Indiana, "No Kings Day" made noise. 

'America has? No Kings!' Hoosiers protest at Statehouse on Trump’s birthday (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Upwards of 3,000 Hoosiers attended Saturday’s protest, according to the Indiana State Police, who monitored the event from the perimeter and detained at least one participant after a scuffle with an opposing protester. 

Attendees marched nonstop around the Indiana Statehouse for a few hours, chanting about democracy to a constant stream of car horns down Capitol Avenue.

Organizers repeatedly emphasized a nonviolent approach, distributing whistles to alert security of any counterprotesters “that may try to cause trouble” and advising the crowd not to engage with them.

I asked this question on this blog when I came back from Muncie's demonstration: Do Protests Work? Sheila Kennedy writes:

As always, it depends.

The scholarship confirmed the effectiveness of protests that are large-scale, sustained and nonviolent. Broad-based, diverse demonstrations have been shown to bring pressure on government–one study documented instances in which sustained protests over three years accomplished desired changes. Others traced historical examples; in the U.S., there was the civil rights movement, in India, Gandhi’s nonviolent movement.  In the Philippines, protests toppled Marcos, and in several Eastern European countries, anti-communist demonstrations contributed to the weakening of the USSR.

Which leaves the question open what last Saturday accomplished. Let's say it was a good start, an example to follow.

My ride to church thought the protestors were Bolsheviks, radicals; it was all set up by some billionaire (I forget which one); and when I mentioned violence perpetrated by others upon the demonstrators, he changed the subject. What Ms. Kennedy writes below is also what I saw in Muncie: lots of white people with gray hair. Just like me.

If they were paying attention, the composition of the enormous crowd in the protest I attended should have frightened  elected Republicans. Although they were far more diverse than the town halls I’ve previously attended, a significant percentage of the participants were middle-aged and older White folks who in other times might have been expected to vote Republican. These angry citizens can’t be dismissed as wild leftists–they were pissed off Americans, many of whom had never previously joined a protest. 

As for the violence perpetrated, ‘Peacekeeper’ involved in shooting at SLC ‘No Kings’ protest is a military veteran, organizers say (News From The States).

No Kings protest organizers schedule July 17 march

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