The No Kings Protests Represent Valuable Anti-Authoritarian Action That the Left Should Support
Source: Ben Burgis. "The No Kings Protests Are Cause for Hope." March 30, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that leftists should join the massive No Kings protests against Trump because these demonstrations have moved beyond typical liberal resistance to embrace anti-war and anti-oligarchy messages. While protests alone won't solve everything, they're a crucial first step in building the movement needed to fight authoritarianism and create real change.
Conclusion
The Left should actively participate in and support the No Kings protests because they represent a valuable first step in building momentum against Trump's authoritarianism and have evolved beyond basic liberalism to embrace more substantive anti-oligarchy and antiwar positions
Premises
- Trump's second presidency has crossed multiple constitutional lines, including attempting to abolish birthright citizenship, arresting legal residents for protests, deploying federal agents in cities, and starting an unpopular war in Iran without congressional approval
- The No Kings protests drew 8 million participants across 3,000 rallies, demonstrating massive public opposition to Trump's authoritarian actions
- The protests have evolved beyond the 'resistance liberalism' of Trump's first term to embrace more substantive left-wing messaging including anti-oligarchy and antiwar positions
- Street protests, while insufficient alone, serve as necessary first steps in building energy and momentum for other forms of political action
- Liberal capitalist democracy, despite its flaws, provides the democratic space necessary for leftist organizing and agitation
- The fight against authoritarianism is fundamentally connected to broader struggles against oligarchy and militarism, making it inherently a left-wing cause
Assumptions
- Mass protests can effectively build political momentum for broader social change
- The current level of democratic rights and freedoms is worth defending as a foundation for further progress
- Trump's actions constitute genuine authoritarianism rather than normal political disagreement
- The American public is becoming more receptive to left-wing anti-oligarchy messaging
- Leftists can influence the direction of liberal-led movements through participation rather than criticism from the sidelines