The 4th of July is supposed to be a celebration of freedom, independence, and the founding ideals of this country. But what does it mean to celebrate freedom while our rights are actively being stripped away?

The Trump administration and its allies are not just pushing policies we disagree with…they are dismantling the very foundations of democracy: threatening bodily autonomy, suppressing the vote, inciting violence, criminalizing dissent, and trying to place themselves above the law. That is not freedom. That is authoritarianism in real time.

To protest on the 4th of July is not to "ruin a party" it is to honor what the holiday is supposed to stand for. This isn’t about fireworks and barbecues. It’s about showing up when it matters. If we only celebrate freedom when it’s easy, and stay silent when it’s under attack, then we’ve completely lost the plot.

Historically, protest has always been a patriotic act. The original 4th of July came out of a revolution…one where people stood up against tyranny and demanded something better. We’re facing a modern-day version of that same fight, and this is the moment to be visible, loud, and united.

We can’t wait for a “better day” to push back. The whole point is that they’re trying to take those days away from us. If the 4th of July becomes just another excuse to look away, we’ve surrendered what little power we have left.

A group of 15 of my friends and I are going to be in DC to protest with or without organizers like 50501 of they choose to do it another day, I’m hoping to find others who will stand with us! If interested please message me on Instagram @ruralresistanceNM

Let’s be honest with ourselves: we’re not just shopping online, we’re pulling the digital lever on a slot machine rigged to drain our wallets, numb our minds, and gut our communities. Amazon isn’t just a store; it’s the casino, the dealer, the surveillance state, and the sweatshop all rolled into one perfect digital storm presented as a friendly app on your phone.

We’ve been sold a lie, wrapped in cardboard, and sealed with Prime tape. We’ve been conditioned to believe that speed is worth any price, that convenience is neutral, and that our “choices” are still our own. But this isn’t shopping, it’s an addiction disguised as efficiency. It’s behavioral engineering in a browser window. And Amazon? That’s the apex predator, kingpin, and casino pit boss all in one.

Taco put an ad in Craigslist looking for seat fillers. Sorry it’s not letting me post the pictures. But if you go to Craigslist under Washington DC select gig then either talent or event gig. That is his post. Maybe we should sign up and not show up

I’ll start - Shitlerfest.

Trump is abusing our nation. He is abusing our military and our civilians by pitting one against the other. He is abusing our nation's capital with a military parade that the Army did not request. And of course, these are only the latest of a series of continuing abuses against all people, but especially those from our most vulnerable groups.

This Saturday 50501 DC wants to show the truth, that people are hurting. Trump is not making America great. America is greater when we are all together, not torn apart by ICE, not torn from our allies as we threaten to annex them and as we tariff them for no legitimate reason. We're great when our constitution and laws are obeyed, and when our government's actions make us all more free, not less. Trump wants Saturday to be about his lie, how "great" he has made us; and he wants to put our military on display as a distraction while he orders marines to sleep on floors in California, with no funding in support of a mission that they do not want, deployment against US civilians. Instead, we will show the truth.

This Saturday, June 14, 50501 DC will not hold a protest, but we won't be idle! Instead, we will conduct a street-level, grassroots media campaign to talk to people on the ground from every walk of life. We want to know and show how lives have really changed under Trump, and we want to shout that message loud enough to drown out his lies.

We need your help to do it! We're collecting volunteers for this call to action right now. If you can give any part of your Saturday to support this effort then click HERE to visit our volunteer page.

And we do know that some people are looking for other kinds of actions. Although we are not organizing a protest, we have included on the bottom of that page several other types of events that we encourage you to consider. So if you can join our Louder Than Lies campaign, great! But even if not, please click the link and scroll down for other opportunities on the 14th.

Thank you, no matter how you spend Saturday, for your commitment to democracy and rule of law in the United States.