I don't think this is what is holding these rallies back, though. Vague and/or unrealistic demands coupled with certainty that they event is time-boxed, further coupled with the answer to "or else what?" Being "or we'll quietly go home".

"Remove Trump from the presidency" is a big ask, especially when all anyone has to do to get "through" the rally is wait a few hours.

Specific realistically actionable demands, with an answer to "or else what?" And providing a credible suggestion that "this isn't going to blow over when we get tired and hungry" would make a far bigger impact than fragmenting locations IMO. But that's just my take.

Release the Epstein files, subpoena FBI personnel who were supposedly told to redact Trump's name, or else we're staying in the streets and not going to work until it's happened. This is a protest not a weekend BBQ.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Divide and conquer works both ways.

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

I dont want to be a party killer but what did the protestors conquer in Bellarus?

[–] SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Why didn't moving their rook to that side of the board immediately checkmate?

Friend, use all the pieces. It's a complex game.

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That's fair. But this was over 5 years ago, and it's gone down hill since then for them. I am all for optimism but aggressively against promoting naiveness

[–] SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

Excellent! It is naiive to expect a cluster of protests to enact social change on their own, and especially to expect one day of protests to reveal progress in a frightened government.

However, real social change pushing against authoritarian regimes cannot succeed without a strong backing of unrest in the streets. Organized protests are the best form of this pressure.

Likewise, without organizing in civic policy at the local, regional, and federal levels, in a coherent or at least congruent manner, your protest is relegated from pressure to complaint.

You need all fingers and a thumb to make a fist.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago

I don't know that they did, I am just remarking on the applicability of tactics and strategies broadly.

You can break up a friend group, or online discussion, or alliance between nation states, or a whole bunch of other things, if your general concept is to drive wedges into the cracks of any kind of 'group-thing' that you in some sense seek to defeat or influence.

[–] BabyVi@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Practically speaking, if you yourself take a photo then manipulate it with stable diffusion via masking. How is it less ethical than making a collage out of old magazines then playing some video games afterward? I'm not very pro-AI these days but it can't be so cut and dry.