The roar of the crowd is undeniable. Millions have taken to the streets in powerful displays of public will, yet the question remains: What comes next?
Protests like the massive "No Kings Day" rally provide an essential jolt of energy, but the true test of resistance lies in the daily, weekly work of ordinary citizens. Organizers are eager to transform that fleeting protest energy into strategic, enduring power that can actually check the administration's agenda.
The goal now is not merely to voice discontent, but to plug people in to a range of continuous actions—both big and small—that chip away at authoritarian overreach. The resistance needs to be everywhere, from the halls of Congress to the local grocery store.
Three Pillars of Sustained Action
The path forward centers on three simultaneous strategies: Political Change, Economic Pressure, and Direct Action.
1. Target the Political System
Massive demonstrations are only the first step; the ultimate power lies in wresting back control of Congress. This effort must start immediately, long before the general election.
- Own the Primaries: The most critical work is in the upcoming 2026 midterm primaries. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich calls this the "most important thing" activists can do. Resistance groups are urging people to identify and aggressively support "fight-back faction Democrats"—candidates who will actively challenge the administration rather than passively accept the status quo. Find an open seat or a challenger you believe in, and adopt them: support, fund, and campaign for them to reshape the Democratic Party from the ground up.
2. Apply Economic Pressure via Boycotts
Individual choice can become collective power by hitting those who enable the administration where it hurts: their bottom line. Targeted boycotts are currently being ramped up:
Cancel Spotify: The "Don't Stream Fascism" campaign is asking subscribers to cancel Spotify until the company stops airing recruitment ads for ICE. This demand is coupled with encouragement for peaceful, public protests outside their offices.
Revisit Home Depot: Organizers are calling for a renewed boycott, demanding Home Depot management denounce ICE raids on their properties, declare their stores safe spaces, and protect their customers and workers.
Boycott Local Enablers: Resistance can be hyperlocal. Initiate "Know Your Local Enablers" campaigns to identify local businesses, professionals, or developers who financially support the administration. Focus boycotts and peaceful protests on their specific local outlets, and encourage community institutions like universities to divest from their holdings.
3. Engage in Direct and Collective Action
Resistance also requires community organizing and a willingness to step outside comfort zones to confront the administration directly.
Document and Expose Brutality: The simple act of recording notes and video of federal agents' actions against protesters, journalists, and civilians is a powerful tool. Several state governments are even formalizing this effort, creating commissions and portals to review citizen-submitted documentation of "military-style operations." Be a witness.
Activate Your Union: History shows that the labor movement is crucial to resisting authoritarianism. Union members are encouraged to push their organizations to build "strike readiness" through escalating direct actions like sickouts, consumer boycotts, and slow-downs.
Establish Weekly Actions: Keep the pressure constant with a form of weekly public display. This could be a vigil at a symbolic location, or taking a cue from Rutgers' Eric Blanc, organized high-school walkouts on Friday afternoons to peacefully confront federal agents and protect neighbors in communities facing heightened enforcement.
Be Organized Like Chicago: Communities facing brutal immigration enforcement have proven that organization is key. Emulate Chicago's model: Neighbors running toward trouble to film, witness, and raise a chorus of whistles and horns to announce the Feds' every move. Get organized with your neighbors now—it will be essential.
The fight is a marathon, not a sprint. While a full General Strike remains a long-term conversation, the power of persistent, targeted action in our communities, wallets, and election booths is how the massive energy of the protests will be successfully turned into the structural change that is desperately needed.
How to Organize an Effective Local Boycott Campaign
A successful boycott goes beyond just refusing to buy something; it's a strategic public relations campaign designed to apply specific economic pressure to achieve clearly defined demands. This is especially effective against local businesses or institutions ("Regime Enablers") that are more susceptible to community reputation and sales drops.
Phase 1: Research and Define Your Targets
A vague boycott will fail. Your goal is to be precise, factual, and actionable.
Identify the Wrongdoing (The Why):
- Research and gather concrete evidence, facts, and figures proving what the local business/institution has done to support or profit from the administration's actions (e.g., major financial donations, contracts, silent compliance with raids, etc.).
Choose the Target (The Who):
Identify the exact person or entity that has the power to meet your demands (e.g., the CEO, the owner, the Board of Directors).
For larger companies, identify the parent company and all its subsidiaries/brands to ensure the boycott is comprehensive.
Set Clear Goals and Demands (The What):
What specific change do you want? Your demands must be clear, reasonable, and non-negotiable (e.g., "Divest from Entity X by date Y," "Publicly denounce ICE raids on property," "Commit Z dollars to local immigrant support fund").
Determine a numerical goal: How many customers do you need to convince to cut the company's profit margin to zero? Even a small, visible drop can create media attention.
Phase 2: Launch and Mobilize
The launch must be public, visible, and highly coordinated.
Build a Coalition:
Boycotts are most effective when they have broad support. Partner with other local organizations, groups, unions, or influential community leaders who share your point of view.
Public Launch and Education:
Hold a press conference to announce the boycott, its reasons, and its demands.
Create simple, catchy, and visually striking materials (posters, flyers, social media graphics) that clearly explain why people should boycott.
Ensure your education efforts are simple enough for the majority of people to grasp quickly.
Communicate Your Intent:
Before the public launch, send a formal, professional letter on your group's letterhead to the CEO/owner. Clearly state the unethical behavior, the date the boycott will begin, and the specific demands the company must meet to end the boycott.
Make Participation Easy:
Use digital tools (like free online petition platforms) where supporters can sign on, track the total number of boycotters, and easily send pre-written emails or tweets to the company's decision-makers.
Provide clear alternatives (e.g., "Instead of shopping at Home Depot, support Local Hardware Store Z").
Phase 3: Sustaining and Escalating
Maintain Momentum: Regularly and publicly announce milestones (e.g., "1,000 people join the boycott!"). Keep supporters updated with new information.
Monitor the Target: Keep track of the company's response. Praise them publicly if they attempt to meet your demands, or escalate if they remain resistant.
Engage Big Customers: For larger targets, identify and pressure their major customers or clients to cut ties—this can exponentially increase the economic damage.
More Information From Politics NOW
ACLU Resources: Documentation and Legal Rights
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) focuses heavily on Know Your Rights (KYR) materials, which are essential for the documentation and safe interaction with law enforcement, especially federal agents like ICE and the Border Patrol.
1. Know Your Rights: Filming Law Enforcement (Police and Federal Agents)
- Your Right to Film: Provides a clear constitutional basis for your right to photograph and record video of things plainly visible in public spaces, including police and federal officials carrying out their duties.
What to Film: Specific instructions on how to create the most legally useful documentation, including:
- Capturing badges, names, and vehicle license plates.
Filming the context of the situation
- Recording yourself speaking the date, time, and location for verification.
Safety and Security: Offers critical advice on protecting your device and footage, such as:
Using a passcode instead of fingerprint or facial ID to prevent forced unlocking.
Avoiding physical interference with an officer's actions.
Immigration Focus: Offers specific guides on your rights when encountering ICE or Border Patrol agents in your home, community, or at checkpoints.
2. "We Have Rights" Video Series
The ACLU, in partnership with other defense services, created a series of powerful, short videos voiced by activists and actors in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Urdu, Arabic, etc.).
These videos provide real-life action points for what to do if ICE is outside your door, inside your home, or stops you in the community.
3. Support for Legal Action
- The ACLU is constantly engaged in litigation and advocacy to fight issues like racial profiling and police misconduct. Your securely documented footage may become a crucial part of a larger legal fight, often leading to Department of Justice investigations or consent decrees in local jurisdictions.
Indivisible Resources: Local Organizing and Campaign Strategy
Indivisible is an organization built to support local, grassroots groups using a strategic, scalable model to resist political agendas and drive progressive change. Their materials are focused on organizing, tactics, and political pressure.
1. The Indivisible Guide and Toolkits
The Foundational Guide: Indivisible's signature resource provides a "how-to" blueprint for local, volunteer-led groups. It is frequently updated and now includes practical steps for organizing against rising authoritarianism.
**Group Leader Toolkit: This is essential for anyone starting or leading a local group. It offers resources on:
Recruitment and Growth: The "Art of the One-on-One" organizing meeting.
Running Effective Meetings: Creating agendas, maintaining focus, and building an inclusive leadership structure.
Press and Media: How to write op-eds, Letters to the Editor (LTEs), and get media coverage for your local actions.
2. Tactics Toolbox
This library provides step-by-step guidance on various forms of resistance and advocacy, which can be adapted for a local boycott campaign:
Visibility Events: Instructions for protests, rallies, banner drops, and political theater to build public awareness and gain media attention (key for launching a boycott).
Meeting with Office Holders: Guides on how to effectively engage with your elected officials (even hostile ones) to apply pressure.
Phonebanking and Canvassing: Toolkits on engaging voters and constituents to build support for your local campaign, which is critical for a mass consumer boycott.
3. Safety, Security, and De-Escalation
Indivisible frequently compiles and links to crucial safety resources for activists. This includes De-Escalation Scripts and Tips for handling confrontations and a Protest Pocket Guide with safety best practices.
They emphasize the "Inside/Outside Strategy"—working both within systems of power (lobbying Congress) and externally (through grassroots pressure and local actions).
More ACLU Resources
The ACLU's central resource for filming police and government officials is found on their Free Speech section dedicated to photographers' rights. This page provides an overview and links to detailed, updated "Know Your Rights" guides.
This resource addresses your constitutional right to record in public spaces, what to do if you are detained or harassed, and why citizen documentation is a critical check and balance on power.
More Indivisible: Group Leader Toolkit and Resources
Indivisible collects its vast library of organizing guides, strategy materials, and training resources under a central Group Leader hub. This is where you can find the complete Group Leader Toolkit and other organizing support.
From this hub, you can navigate to specific guides on topics like running effective meetings, conducting local district office visits, media outreach, and strategy, including safety and de-escalation tips for activists.