Few things can alleviate feelings of powerlessness and despair like taking to the streets with your people, and history has shown that protesting absolutely has an impact. Elected officials know this, which is why Missouri Republicans recently inserted language that would define a riot as “six or more people gathering for a purpose” in a bill to take over the City of St. Louis Police Department. “It was so vague that on the House Floor, Representative Eric Woods made the comparison that six teenagers drinking in a field could be considered a riot under the definition,” says State Representative Elizabeth Fuchs. “It was to deter us from taking to these streets.”
See: 20 of the Most Famous Protests In U.S. History
Politics isn’t only about big wins or big losses. A minority party can force concessions, making bad legislation less bad, as happened with the riot definition. “We knew that since the Governor wanted this [state takeover of the city’s Police Department] to happen, it was likely happening.,” Fuchs said. “The Republicans have a super majority, which means they do what they want.” But the Democrats filibustered, forcing a negotiation that stripped some of the worst parts of the takeover legislation.
It’s difficult to wrap our minds around how much has changed in a matter of months, but we find ourselves navigating hostile terrain. We need to be smart, strategic, and we need to come together to make our voices heard. And we can have fun doing it.
The following are a few upcoming demonstrations you can attend.
March 22 Tesla Takedown Protest in South St. Louis County. Chris Andoe.
Saturday, March 29: Tesla Takedown Protest
16955 Chesterfield Airport Road. Chesterfield, MO 63005. Noon to 2:00 p.m.
The rabidly anti-trans Elon Musk, who is aggressively working to dismantle the federal government while backing right-wing candidates around the world, has ignited a global protest movement targeting the company that made him the world’s richest man. NBC News reports: “The push against the electric car company appears to have had real consequences. The company’s stock closed at $248.71 on Friday compared to its 52-week high of $488.54 in December.”
Roughly 60 people attended Saturday’s protest in St. Louis County (video), and area resident Michael Dunning, who drives past the demonstrations, said they get larger every week. While there have been weekly protests at Tesla of South County (5711 S. Lindbergh) from 10 a.m. to noon, this coming Saturday’s focus will be on the Chesterfield location, and will begin at noon.
March 31: Trans Day of Visibility March and Rally
Gather in Kiener Plaza at 5:30pm, then march to City Hall. The rally will feature speakers and drag performances. This information will be updated as more details are announced.
April 5: 50501. Noon to 3:00 p.m
St. Louis: Kiener Plaza
Jefferson City: Missouri State Capitol
50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement, is an ongoing political action organization fighting to uphold the Constitution and end executive overreach.
It’s easy for statewide Republican politicians to ignore what happens in St. Louis, so organizers are really hoping for a big turnout at the Capitol.
All Hands on Deck
As this administration seeks to literally erase us, we need to push back. If you’ve never attended a protest, and are unsure about it, consider offering rides to those wishing to attend, or driving past a demonstration while honking and waving in support. It feels nobody is cheering for us at the moment, so let’s at least do that for one another.
Please follow me on BlueSky: @chrisandoe.bsky.social
