There are two types of protest:
The modern American Liberal tradition, where you arrange to gather in a way that doesn’t inconvenience people and try to change hearts and minds with signs, speeches and theatre. This is the threat of power rather than the use of it; the idea is to demonstrate to politicians that a committed voting bloc opposes them.
Then there is the other type of protest, used by the American underclass and most of the non-US world. In this version, you arrange to gather in a way that causes as much inconvenience as possible. The idea is not to change hearts and minds; the idea is to shut shit down. This is the use of power, not just the threat of it.
The first is a demonstration. The second is a strike. Both of them can be done peacefully and non-destructively.
Demonstrations rely upon the conscience of the oppressor. Strikes, not so much.
So far, the rise of Trumpism has seen a moderate amount of symbolic protest and almost no strike action (with the exception of the month-long shutdown of St Louis by BLM, and the recent wave of action from teachers).
The non-fascist majority of America have the power to bring the country to a halt. But power is meaningless if it isn’t used.
