The best signs tell people what we stand for and do it simply. … show our numbers and our power, to generate images that portray us as the “good guys” … We want people to think, “I believe what they believe. These people are just like me.”
… frame our objections as what we are for. … alarm doesn’t work. If we’re protesting against fascism, we’re protesting for freedom. Focus on what is happening now and why it matters. If you say, “Protect Freedom of Speech” or “Defend the First Amendment,” people might think to themselves, “I care about freedom of speech too,” and “Trump is clearly violating the constitution.”
Labelling and alarmism tend to trigger pushback or denial … If you say, “Trump is a Fascist,” people might ask themselves, “Are they exaggerating,” “What do they mean by fascism,” “Does this technically qualify,” or “Are they just saying this because they hate Trump? … statements like “Defend the Constitution” are hard to attack.
Stick to things most people can understand, even if they don’t follow the news. … For example, you could have a 2-sided sign that says “Hurricane Warnings Save Lives” on one side, and “Stop Cuts to the National Weather Service” on the other.
Avoid political jargon, academic terms and acronyms. I have been recommending that people use “dictator/dictatorship” instead of “autocrat/autocracy” or “fascist/fascism” and “rule by the rich” instead of “oligarch/oligarchy.” … My favorite chant is “No Dictators! No Kings!”
(some favorites are bolded)
NO DICTATORS, NO KINGS
PROTECT the CHILDREN
RELEASE the EPSTEIN FILES
STOP PROTECTING PEDOPHILES
FREEDOM!
AMERICA: LAND OF THE FREE
IT’S (SUPPOSED TO BE) A FREE COUNTRY
STOP THE CORRUPTION / OUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT FOR SALE
STOP THE ABUSE OF POWER (Not “power grab”!)
DEFEND the CONSTITUTION
I BELIEVE IN THE CONSTITUTION
Democrats are for FREEDOM OF SPEECH
FREE SPEECH for EVERYONE
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
NO THOUGHT POLICE / NO CENSORSHIP
PROTESTING IS PROTECTED by the CONSTITUTION
NO SECRET POLICE / EVEN POLICE HAVE TO OBEY THE LAW
NO SECRET ARRESTS / EVERYBODY DESERVES THEIR DAY IN COURT
EVERYBODY DESERVES a FAIR HEARING / DUE PROCESS
NO ARRESTS WITHOUT WARRANTS / NO ARRESTS WITHOUT CAUSE
NO “SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS” STOPS / NO SEARCH WITHOUT CAUSE
NO SOLDIERS IN OUR STREETS / NO MILITARY OCCUPATION
NATIONAL GUARD: THIS IS BULLSHIT DUTY!
NO WAGING WAR on THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
IMMIGRANTS are ESSENTIAL / DON’T DEPORT OUR NEIGHBORS
NO ICE RACIAL PROFILING / 40+MILLION US CITIZENS ARE HISPANIC
NO SECRET ARRESTS / WHERE ARE THE ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ PRISONERS?
The CONSTITUTION applies to EVERYONE / INCLUDING IMMIGRANTS
SAVE OUR HEALTHCARE / STOP the PREMIUM HIKES
MEDICARE FOR ALL / Get the GREED out of HEALTHCARE
SAVE MEDICARE / EVERYBODY deserves HEALTHCARE
DEMOCRATS believe in HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
FUND RURAL HOSPITALS / Tell Republicans to STOP THE CUTS
FUND CANCER RESEARCH / Tell Republicans to STOP THE CUTS
SAVE CANCER RESEARCH / FUND THE NIH (National Institutes of Health)
SAVE OUR NURSING HOMES / Tell Republicans to STOP THE CUTS
EVERYBODY deserves FOOD / KIDS DESERVE FOOD / STOP THE FOOD STAMP CUTS
DEMOCRATS are for ECONOMIC FAIRNESS
SAVE THE FARMS / STOP the TARIFFS
TARIFFS are a SALES TAX on IMPORTS
WE ARE ALL CASUALTIES OF TRUMP’S TARIFF WAR
TRUMP’S TARIFF WAR is KILLING OUR ECONOMY/JOBS
TRUMP’S IMMIGRANT RAIDS are KILLING OUR ECONOMY
HOUSES are for FAMILIES, not FINANCE BROS
EVERYBODY deserves a HOME
I CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY A HOUSE
The RENT IS TOO DAMNED HIGH
People WORK HARD. They deserve FAIR PAY.
Democrats are for HIGHER WAGES
GOOD JOBS FOR ALL / WAGES YOU CAN LIVE ON
TAX the RICH / TAX the BILLIONAIRES / MAKE THE RICH PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE
TAX EXPLOITERS, NOT WORKERS
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
PROTECT SMALL BUSINESSES from MONOPOLY POWER
MONEY OUT OF POLITICS
IT’S OUR GOVERNMENT / THE GOVERNMENT BELONGS TO US
FEDERAL WORKERS SERVE THE PUBLIC / LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS
TELL REPUBLICANS: STOP CUTTING FEDERAL WORKERS
TELL RUSS VOGHT: STOP TRAUMATIZING FEDERAL WORKERS
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DESERVE UNION RIGHTS AND WORKER PROTECTIONS
KEEP OUR SKIES SAFE / WE NEED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
KEEP OUR FOOD SAFE / WE NEED FOOD INSPECTORS
TORNADO/FLOOD/HURRICANE WARNINGS SAVE LIVES / SAVE the NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
NATIONAL PARKS belong to EVERYONE / Tell Republicans: STOP THE CUTS
STABILIZE THE CLIMATE / THE WEATHER IS FREAKING ME OUT!
INVEST IN OUR FUTURE / UNLIMITED CLEAN ENERGY / SUPPORT SOLAR AND WIND
JOBS are for HUMANS / DON’T LET A.I. STEAL MY JOB
STOP the AI DATA CENTERS / MY POWER BILL IS TOO DAMN HIGH
WATER is for HUMANS / STOP THE AI DATA CENTERS
PROTECT OUR PRIVACY / DON’T GIVE TECH LORDS OUR PRIVATE DATA
PROTECT OUR PRIVACY / NO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
FREEDOM FOR UKRAINE / END THE WAR OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
PALESTINIANS AND ISREALIS DESERVE TO BE SAFE
NETANYAHU: STOP BOMBING PALESTINIAN CHILDREN / DOCTORS / JOURNALISTS
NETANYAHU: STARVING CIVILIANS/CHILDREN IS A WAR CRIME
NETANYAHU: BOMBING CIVILIANS is NOT OK
BLOWING UP BOATS without a trial IS ILLEGAL / A WAR CRIME
I ❤️ Democracy
Honesty, Decency, Freedom
CHAOS, CORRUPTION & CRUELTY are UN-AMERICAN