John,
All around the world, outraged citizens are rising up in the streets in mass protest. From Hong Kong to Chile, from Lebanon to Ecuador – these movements remind us that peaceful, mass protest is the most powerful tool we have to hold our governments accountable.
We’ll share with you below how these uprisings began and what changed as a result, but first we need to hear from you. What do you think would happen if we rose up at the scale of Hong Kong and Chile to defeat Trump?
Fill out our short survey here to share your thoughts about mass protest in the U.S. and how mass mobilizations like the examples below are needed to defeat Trump.
Take our mass protest survey »
We’ve seen time and time again that mass protests and people-powered movements make change happen. When millions take to the streets, it sends an undeniable message that we the people are fed up – and that our power is unstoppable.
We saw this in 2017 at the first Women’s March, and then every year since. The Women’s March is part of a global trend over the last decade of increased mass demonstrations –– and it’s likely to continue because, as these examples prove, when we rise up, we win.
Here are some of the most recent mass uprisings from around the world:
Hong Kong:
After lawmakers proposed a bill in April calling for criminals to be extradited to China under certain circumstances, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. After weeks of protests – including some so large they contained 25% of the population – Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam agreed to suspend the bill indefinitely.
Chile:
In one day alone, more than a million people took to the streets of Santiago. What began in response to increased subway fare expanded into a county-wide protest about rising cost of living, inequality, and distrust of the political system.
While the protestors were calling for President Sebastian Piñera’s resignation, Piñera dismissed his entire cabinet in order to form a new government and introduce social reforms demanded by protesters.
Lebanon:
After the Lebanese government proposed new taxes on tobacco, gasoline, and some messaging platforms (including WhatsApp), thousands of people took to the streets. The tax proposal came at a time when many citizens were fed up with a political system that failed to provide even the most basic of services, including electricity and water. The Prime Minister resigned in response to the protests.
Ecuador:
Protests began in early October when President Lenín Moreno cut oil subsidies that had been in place for 40 years. As a result, the price of diesel more than doubled and the price of gasoline increased by 30 percent overnight. Indigenous groups and labor unions took to the streets for 11 days of protest. On October 14, Ecuador’s president struck a deal with Indigenous leaders to cancel the disputed austerity package and agreed to work together toward new solutions.
These movements are inspiring and remind us how powerful we are when we come together to demand change.
Are you ready to see the U.S. on this list? Share your thoughts on mass protests, this moment, and how we can best defeat Trump in our short survey now.
In solidarity,
Rinku Sen
