Protest, But Don’t JUST Protest

Why Protests Alone Won’t Save Us—and What We Must Do Instead

The streets are filling with protesters, voices raised in defiance, fists clenched in anger. And yet, despite the energy, the sheer scale of mobilization, I can’t help but ask: Is it enough?

I see the marches, the demonstrations, the acts of defiance. I see the people showing up, demanding change. And I respect that—deeply. But what I don’t see is a unified message or a cohesive strategy that can break through the fortified walls of disinformation, media bias, and political apathy that define our era.

And that’s a problem. A fatal problem.

Protests Once Changed the World—But Today’s Landscape is Different

Many look back at the protests of the 60s and 70s as proof that mass mobilization can force societal change. And they’re not wrong—protests played a crucial role in civil rights, the Vietnam War opposition, and labor movements. But what made those movements effective wasn’t just the protests—it was exposure.

During the Civil Rights Movement, when the fire hoses blasted Black protesters, when police dogs tore into peaceful marchers, the brutality was broadcast to every living room in America. The entire country saw the horrors of Jim Crow oppression. It forced a moral reckoning. The same happened when Vietnam War protests dominated television screens, showing the stark contrast between government lies and the body bags arriving home. The exposure was the mechanism that shifted public perception, moved the Overton window, and forced action.

That World Is Gone

Today, the media landscape is fundamentally different—fragmented, polarized, and dominated by digital echo chambers. There is no longer a “national conversation” happening in one place. Instead, reality itself is up for debate. The people who need to see the protests aren’t seeing them at all, or worse—they’re seeing a manufactured, distorted version fed to them by bad actors.

Fox News, OAN, Joe Rogan, Tim Pool and the right-wing disinformation machine deliberately ignore or distort protests so their audience never even hears the truth. Meanwhile, mainstream media, fearful of “both sides” criticism, sanitizes movements, dilutes their urgency, or outright ignores them if they don’t fit a pre-approved narrative.

This neutering of exposure is a major difference between then and now. Protests used to work because they forced engagement. Today, they are easily contained within ideological bubbles—seen only by those who already agree.

We Cannot Rely Solely on Protests. We Need a Multi-Front Strategy

This does not mean we should stop protesting. Mobilization matters—it builds momentum, galvanizes communities, and reminds people that they are not alone. But if all we do is protest, we are walking into a trap.

Protests in 2025 will not move the Overton window alone. The right-wing media landscape ensures that a massive percentage of the country will never be exposed to these movements in a way that makes them think critically. Meanwhile, corporate media gatekeepers will do everything they can to minimize, ignore, or distort the protests’ impact.

So, what do we do?

1. Simple, Unified Messaging

One of our biggest problems? Message fragmentation. The left loves nuance, but nuance does not win information wars. We need clear, simple, repeatable slogans that hit hard and don’t require deep political knowledge to understand.

Instead of: "We need to ensure equitable and sustainable policy frameworks that protect marginalized communities from economic instability and institutional violence..." We should be saying: “They’re screwing you while laughing to the bank, and we’re here to stop it.”

Protests must have one clear message. Right now, everyone brings their own agenda. That weakens the impact. The far-right thrives because their messaging is simple. We need to do the same.

2. Strategic Media Infiltration: Break the Echo Chambers

We cannot rely on mainstream media to carry our message. We have to bypass the gatekeepers and go straight to where people consume information. This means:

• Buying ad space on right-wing media. Run ads that do not scream “Democratic message” but instead sow doubt among their viewers. Example: Ads targeting Fox News audiences with questions like, “Why does Trump push tax cuts for billionaires while your wages stay flat?” Messaging must feel internal to their audience—not like an external attack.

• Seeding viral content on conservative digital spaces. Use influencers and meme culture to spread messages in places where mainstream Democrats won’t even think to go. (Yes, even in toxic forums.)

• Forcing mainstream media engagement. Stage press events, force reporters into uncomfortable positions, demand they acknowledge the reality of what's happening rather than ignoring it.

3. Rallies and Town Halls in Red Areas

Instead of waiting for people to “FAFO” (F**k Around and Find Out) while suffering from GOP policies, go to them first. Many red-state voters don’t see an alternative to the right because no one is showing up to listen to them.

• Step 1: Listen. Don't start by lecturing. Show up, ask real questions, and hear them out. What are they struggling with? What are they angry about? What do they actually want fixed? Let them talk.

• Step 2: Acknowledge. Honestly recognize their frustrations. Many of their concerns—economic struggles, job security, healthcare costs, corruption—are valid. Validate their anger. Don't jump to solutions yet.

• Step 3: Reveal the Betrayal. Once you’ve listened and acknowledged, show—simply and clearly—how the Republican Party is screwing them over. Not with stats and data dumps, but with real-life examples they can immediately understand.

  • They’re mad about rising costs? "Republicans are blocking wage increases and cutting taxes for billionaires instead."

  • They’re worried about crime? " Republicans keep defunding education—the very thing that keeps kids out of crime."

  • They’re struggling to pay medical bills? "They voted to repeal protections that stop insurance companies from screwing you."

• Step 4: Offer the Alternative—Directly Related to Their Concerns.
  Not abstract policy, not "what's good for the country," not "social justice." Speak to their specific issues:

  • "We want you to keep more of your paycheck, so we’re fighting for higher wages and lower healthcare costs."

  • "We want your community to be safer, so we’re fighting to fund schools, job training, and youth programs that actually prevent crime—not just throw more people in prison after the fact."

  • "We believe if you work hard, you should be able to afford a home. That’s why we’re stopping hedge funds from buying up houses and driving up prices."

Nothing complex. No buzzwords. Just the truth, plainly spoken, in a way that resonates.

This approach doesn’t just challenge their beliefs—it makes them feel heard while revealing the betrayal they’ve been conditioned to ignore. They need to see the betrayal before they’ll listen to anything else.

If You Believe in This Fight, Help Keep It Alive

There’s still more below, I just need a moment of your time:
The American Manifesto isn’t backed by corporations. There are no ads, no paywalls, no billionaires funding it.
It’s just one person, fighting like hell to expose the truth and give you the weapons to push back.
If you value this work—if you want this movement to keep growing, keep calling out fascism without fear, and keep fighting for the future we deserve—then I need your support.

Join the fight. Become a supporter. Every contribution keeps this mission alive.

Because silence is surrender. We do not surrender. We are #TheRelentless.

4. Social Media Blitzkrieg

Protests in the streets must be mirrored by protests online. Right now, the right-wing propaganda machine dominates social media. We need to counter-flood digital platforms with:

• Targeted counter-messaging (simple, sharp slogans, not policy papers)

• Disruptive viral content (mocking authoritarian figures, exposing their hypocrisy)

• Crowd-sourced campaigns (organizing mass-commenting efforts to hijack right-wing narratives)

This is an Information War for Narrative Control

The biggest takeaway? We are in an information war. Protest alone does not win a war—it’s one weapon, not the entire arsenal. The right is playing for total control of the narrative, and if we don’t adapt, we will lose by default.

This is why I created The American Manifesto. Because we need a plan. We need a movement. And we need to stop playing defense.

Protests are good. But they’re not enough. Either we fight to win, or we will watch the fascists steamroll every issue we care about—not because we weren’t loud enough, but because we weren’t smart enough.

Join the Fight, Amplify the Truth

Because silence is surrender. We never surrender. We are #TheRelentless.