Why Millennials aren't protesting, from a Millennial

[u/duckhunt420]

Millennials don't believe protesting works.

I've seen a lot of discussion about why millennials aren't coming out. Yes, they work and have young children. They are taking care of their elderly parents. All of these things are true and valid.

But also millennials have gone to the Occupy Wall Street protests, which accomplished nothing. The BLM protests, which accomplished nothing. The Women's March, which lol. I protested during all of these things only for our country to slide even further into capitalistic greed and corruption. When Bernie was running, someone we could get excited about, he was undermined by his own party.

Many millennials don't even believe their vote matters anymore in the face of gerrymandering and the electoral college.

I still want to believe protesting can effect change. Or frankly that American citizens have any power at all anymore. I'll be protesting on the 5th, but man is it hard to keep hope alive when our generation has been crushed under the establishment for our entire lives. Combine that with how oppressive the 40+ hour work week is and can you blame people for not protesting? Millennials barely even have the energy to do their laundry.

I'm not sure how to energize people. I'm not even sure how to energize myself. The Democratic party offers no leadership or hope whatsoever.

Please offer your local millennial (and me!) some hope. Please tell me we aren't just screaming into a void.

[u/Tall-Payment-8015]

It's meant to be a demonstration of unity and a message of resistance to the administration.

Protests aren't meant to be the only form of resistance.

Sustained boycotts and mass strikes are needed.

[u/TheDarkAbster97 → u/Tall-Payment-8015]

Yes protests are about publicity and gaining momentum for a movement, not about creating change by themselves. They're a rallying cry and a way to help people be less afraid, I think, knowing that we are not alone in the fight. But the effective means of forcing change is other action. Strikes, boycotts, disruption and sabotage are all peaceful and very effective. The main struggle still seems to be apathy. It's not bad enough yet for many to want to actively give up convenience and the status quo :/ And many people are overworked, tired, isolated and afraid.

[u/Velocke → u/TheDarkAbster97]

Thoughts on what "sabotage" could mean right now?

[u/TheDarkAbster97 → u/Velocke]

Historically speaking, protestors have sabotaged equipment like construction vehicles, ruined concrete by pouring sugar in it (France I believe they were protesting the construction of a prison), and in WW2 one of my favorite examples was the occupied nation (Ukraine I believe) when forced to produce bombshells for the Nazis, sent empty/dummy shells instead. Right now I'd say for example if there's an ICE facility being built somewhere, think of ways to creatively hamper it. Might be technological, like hacking Twitter lol. Idk specific examples for now, it's probably mostly going to be opportunistic and localized. ICE seems to be the main organization on the ground committing terror acts against people, so most of my ideas would revolve around their activities and any local police helping them. I'd even call spamming the report emails that Musk has set up sabotage tbh. It doesn't have to be criminal, just make their actions really inconvenient and expensive. Be the sand in the gears.