Three Wins Today: Oct 19, 2025
Stop Gatekeeping "Protest"!
We will NEVER get to 3.5% if people keep waiting for a revolution to get involved. Guess what, this is the revolution. No, it doesn’t look at that fantasy book, SciFi series or graphic novel you read, and it’s not going to.
It’s going to look like this. Hundreds of thousands of actions, some bigger than others to build a coalition. And even when we reach the apex, chances are we’re looking at a protests and mutual aid and fundraising.
This fantasy violence will hurt the very people you claim you want to protect. And, an unplanned general strike will do the same.
What are you waiting for? Let’s say everyone decided, this is it, this is the big action, what then? Would you listen to the organizers or decide you know better and go off on your own and undermine our position cause it didn’t look revolutionary enough for you?
What is this imaginary action you want to see? And what would you do if it happened?
Making the administration (and yes I call it an administration, cause when we call it a regime, we give them power they don’t have) look ridiculous is one of our best tools right now. Being joyful is one of the best ways to fight back right now.
Who the fuck cares how someone gets involved as long as they do? We need more people not only people who fit your perfect definition of an activist. We need kids, if it’s safe, which it was everywhere yesterday.
We need kids because we need the next generation to follow in our footsteps. I don’t know if I would be the activist I am today if my mom and dad hadn’t started bringing me to protests in a stroller.
And since when is protest not the right word? The Miriam Webster definition is LITERALLY:
the act of objecting or a gesture of disapproval, especially : a usually organized public demonstration of disapproval.
How the fuck is that not what these events are? This gate keeping of the word “protest” is so counterproductive. Who the hell cares what we call what we’re doing as long as we’re doing it.
Most successful protests are, in large part, joyful. Find a way to accept that, cause we NEED you. We don’t have the numbers without you. Put aside your utopian resistance strategy and join us. And then when we stabilize Democracy and save the country, feel free to go back to whatever you were doing before. Cause civil debate is what keeps this country strong.
Now, here are some of the small, and large, acts of defiance that will give us a sustaining 3.5%.
Worldwide
YESTERDAY - Millions of people around the world, and an estimated 7 million in the US went out and protested yesterday in the third No Kings Day since January.
There were no major incidents across all 2000+ events, it was just peaceful and joyful resistance.
And keep in mind, that 7m number only reflects those at the protests themselves. Not the people driving by honking, or the people handing out food and drinks or the people who wanted to attend but couldn’t. Maybe we haven’t yet reached that 3.5%, but I think we’re at least a million closer than those estimates.
But here’s the thing, 3.5% is about sustained action. It’s not a one and done thing. So, whether you attended or not, find one way to take action today. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, just do something. And sustain that. Do the same tomorrow and the next day. If every single one of us who attended did one thing every single day, that’s 7 million things. That’s power.
And if you’re still on the fence, that’s okay, this is ongoing. You can join at any time.
Read the comments to find out what some people who did attend, in whatever way they could yesterday had to say when I asked:
California
Mon, Oct 6 - Diwali starts tomorrow, and beginning next year, it will be added to California state holidays.
This means:
On the 15th day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar of each year, or if schools are closed on that date as specified in subdivision (a), on an alternate day determined by the governing board, public schools and educational institutions throughout this state may include exercises, funded through existing resources, acknowledging and celebrating the meaning and importance of Diwali. The State Board of Education may adopt a model curriculum guide to be available for use by public schools for exercises related to Diwali.
Basically Diwali has been added to the Code of Civil Procedure, which is a great big list of all the state holidays and how they should be acknowledged in public schools. It’s unfortunate that even though it was signed before the holiday started, it couldn’t be implemented this year, but it will before next year.
Cosponsor of this bill to amend the Code of Civil Procedures, Ash Kalra told SF Gate:
“We didn’t really share a lot about the celebration with classmates or at school. Not only is it about celebrating our diversity and allowing the entire community to join the celebration, but it’s also about so many authors and children feeling seen.
California is the third state to recognize Diwali, following Connecticut earlier this year and Pennsylvania last year. Hopefully more states follow!
Indiana
Tue, Oct 14 - Clinton Appointee, Judge Richard Young has denied the Indiana Secretary of State, Diego Morales’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit to reverse the ban on Indiana student IDs being used to vote. This means Count Us Indiana and Women4Change Indiana’s lawsuit can go forward.
Judge Young wrote:
By removing a form of identification used by “tens of thousands of young voters” in Indiana, SB 10 makes “voting more difficult for [student voters] than it was before the law was enacted.” And unlike in Nashville Student Organizing Committee v. Hargett, where Tennessee had never permitted voters to use student IDs to vote, Indiana has allowed students to use their IDs to vote for twenty years. Plaintiffs have therefore plausibly alleged that by eliminating student ID as an acceptable form of identification, SB 10 abridges their right to vote under the Twenty-Sixth Amendment.
Basically, since it was already something Indiana students were allowed to do, this does make it harder for Indiana students to vote, unlike in Tennessee where it wasn’t allowed in the first place.
Can’t wait to see what happens with this case going forward. It should be easier to vote, not harder.
So those are today’s wins. I hope they remind you of the importance of just fighting back, in every single way possible.
From Charlottesville VA - hundreds driving by the major intersection honking, thumbs up-ing in addition to the great crowd carrying signs and dancing with unicorns and frogs. All age groups represented. A couple of middle fingers and one pickup driver (obviously look8nb for terrorists) with his trump nation flags flying. No one bothered reacting.
Thanks for the frank remarks in your post. The negative folks need to join all of us who are sure that ongoing efforts against the current administration WILL yield positive results. One day at a time……one effort at a time. Stay strong ❣️