The civil servants whom Trump dismisses as “Deep State” are among the few people who can get a leash on Trump from the inside before he forces serious fighting for everyone else. Between that and the Social Security/Medicaid/Medicare situation this is not just an “inside the Beltway” issue. In fact, the threat to Social Security makes it a “bread and butter” issue.
Protesters defending OPM repurpose Trump’s own “Stop the Steal” line against Elon Musk’s mass theft of government and personal data.
Abortion rights activists get into, take over lead of Tampa’s “March 4 Life” forced birth parade
On the 1st of February, Tampa forced-birth marchers assembled outside a downtown Catholic Church and marched to a nearby park.This was Tampa’s local version of the national annual January march against abortion rights. This was also 12 days after the installation of “King” Trump.
Abortion rights activists managed to enter the march, then take over the lead. The offical lead banner crew kept slowing down or stopping to open a gap, but abortion rights supporters were wise to this old countermove. At one point they reversed the roles, stopping and forcing the entire march to file past them.
At the park rally, abortion rights supporters actually HAD THEIR OWN TABLE, and advanced towards the rally from that position. This diverted some of the rally participants to forming a front line at the back of their rally.
While some verbal sparks flew, punches never did. Things stayed entirely peaceful. At no point did the police threaten either side either.
Video: Critical Mass Orlando’s Jan 31 2025 ride
Critical Mass Orlando is going strong and is a valued escape in these dark times. Hundreds of riders maybe over 1,000 hit the streets for the Jan 31 ride 11 days after the inauguration of a dictator in the US
J20 reportbacks: Elon Musk’s Nazi salute, Proud Boys roam DC, and Trump protesters deploy in DC, Orlando, and Tampa
On Jan 20 2025, Trump was inaugurated into his second (and much more dangerous) term in DC. Elon Musk gave a Nazi salute from a Presidential podium and dangerous Proud Boys thugs roamed parts of DC. Fortunately there are no reports of them finding the anti-Trump protestes. Protesters deployed against Trump in DC, Orlando FL, and Tampa FL plus a great many other cities. The much smaller numbers than in 2017 and lack of any use of force may reflect a belief that peaceful protest is not effective against hard Fascists like the current Trump team. Hopefully people are preparing other means of resistance. With luck, ICE will find many unpleasant surprises waiting for them when they attempt to assault urban neighborhoods such as Chicago where they are expected
Note that speakers at both the Orlando and Tampa protests stressed the role of local police and sheriff’s departments in implementing Trump’s planned anti-migrant pogrom. This is NOT just ICE, it is bigoted, racist cops and sheriffs deputies throughout the US. Even in so-called “sanctuary cities” the cops are usually the same racist slavecatcher descendents they are everywhere else. One speaker reminded Tampa protesters that DeSantis is backing Trump by making participation in ICE’s 297(g) program mandatory for all police and sheriff’s departments in the state of Florida. If Trump intends to embed ICE in every activity and phase of life in the so-called “United” states, that is textbook totalitarianism, a key hallmark of capitol-F Fascism
In DC a guillotine was displayed in the march and rally, this full height French-style guillotine was even marched down the hill on 16th st from Malcolm X Park!
A guiillotine at a protest of a GOP Inauguration is a traditon that goes back to the lead banner at the 2005 Counterinaugural against GW Bush’s second inauguration. It was just an image on the lead banner that year but it still made the point.
Elsewhere in DC, protesters heckled the MAGA meatheads entering the Arena to watch Trump’s coronation ON TV since the ceremony was moved into the US Capitol. Meanwhile a dangerous pack of Proud Boys in their trademark black and gold/black and yellow roamed the streets. This was BEFORE Trump pardoned all but 14 J6 defendents and commuted the sentences of the remaining 14.
Since leaving the Inauguration, Trump has issued a flood of dangerous executive orders, it appears he may be trying to do as much as possible essentially by decree.
DC People’s March: huge crowd at Lincoln Memorial surrounds frozen Reflecting Pool
Video by a participant shows the scale of the crowd. Thought this was a DCMG/John Zangas video but it is not
Video from People’s March in Melbourne, FL
On the 18th of January, in addition to the massive DC March, People’s March events were held all over the so-called “United” States. One of these was in Melbourne, FL and culminated in protesters fanning out on the pedestrian sidepath of the causeway linking the town with the Atlantic coastal barrier island.
As protesters marched back to the original rally point, forced-birth extremists were found set up with the usual graphic antiabortion signs. I personally broke out my antifa flag and started yelling at them. Soon others joined in. The whole thing stayed at the verbal level as 3%er/Proud Boys style violent Trumpist extremists seemed to be absent.
All the same, the march had had to hire trained security guards in case such goons attacked. Such an attack never came, though the march had to avoid the street for fear of giving MAGA drivers a legal excuse (under FL law) for a deliberate ramming attack.
Code Pink disrupts Marco Rubio’s Senate confirmation hearing to become Sec of State
On the 15th of January, the US Senate held a confirmation hearing to consider FL Senator Marco Rubio’s appointment by Trump as Secretary of State. Code Pink got into the hearing and disrupted it, at the price that the Capitol Police were very rough in removing them. Unknown at the moment whether they were arrested or just detained and expelled, but they were searched and cuffed so assuming this was arrests.
This was with five days to go until J20. To engage in civil disobedience at this point against anything related to Trump is to take a very considerable personal risk, and this speaks highly of Code Pink’s courage under fire,
New Year’s Eve noise protest at Miami jail in solidarity with inmates
A great many New Year’s Eve pot and pan banging noise protests took place outside prisons and jails on Dec 31 2024-Jan 1 2025. One of these was in Miami, FL.
Word is the NYC protest was to be at the jail where Luigi is being held essentially for allegedly taking out the trash.
Orlando Critical Mass rides at end of year as dangerous times threaten
With “Democracy” in the US potentially just 24 days away from ending, Orlando’s Critical Mass bike ride did NOT permit themselves to be scared off the streets. Three nights before New Year’s Eve, riders turned out in force for the very popular last ride of the year.
Trump supporters usually don’t like cyclists, so just riding in city streets is no doubt considered “politically incorrect” by the incoming regime. Surely they use a different term though after years of whining about the frosty reception hate speech gets on campuses.