Americans, New Yorkers included, will march in the streets tomorrow, Flag Day, as part of protests they are dubbing “No Kings Day.” They’ve got every right to flood public spaces, and should do so with Stars and Stripes waving proudly.
With that First Amendment right comes a responsibility not to destroy property, loot or condone violence, and a parallel responsibility by police and other law-enforcement not to overreact or overreach. The cycles of reaction and overreaction, outburst and clampdown, we’ve seen in Los Angeles will be unhealthy if they spread across the country.
Donald Trump has begun his second term by testing, bending and in some cases breaking the limits of presidential power. Many warned that the second term would be worse than the first, and that turned out to be true.
There are many ways to say no to Trump; street protest is only one. But it’s vital. Indeed, when we see millions of people gathering, chanting and holding signs in other countries where power-mad executives run roughshod over laws and norms, we praise the people for pushing back.
Trump has pardoned the Jan. 6 rioters, including violent offenders. He’s arbitrarily and illegally slapped tariffs on imports, then reversed himself, then reversed his reversal. He’s ordered federal immigration agents to deport people without any semblance of due process.
He’s sent the National Guard into L.A. under the pretense of fighting crime — over the objections of local leaders — in a dangerous overreach. He’s used the executive branch to punish law firms and universities who’ve dared to go against him ideologically. He’s turned the military into a partisan politician chorus. He’s made no secret of his intent to use the Justice Department and other parts of government to punish his enemies and protect his friends.
The Founders didn’t want the United States to be a monarchy by another name. They gave us a system designed to thwart power grabs, with checks and balances, statutes and healthy respect for precedent and norms.
Making the case might require shouting, but it also requires behaving. The protests in Los Angeles show just how high the stakes are. What started as peaceful demonstrations turned chaotic. While the vast majority of protesters were peaceful, some provoked law enforcement and things escalated, opening the door for Trump. The mess, not the message, is what many Americans absorbed.
Trump feeds on chaos. When a protest turns ugly, when windows are broken or cops are hurt, he seizes on it, points to the footage, and says: “I’m the only thing standing between you and the mob.”
Protesters must stay focused and disciplined. Don’t block essential thoroughfares. Don’t throw rocks. Don’t break windows. Don’t hurt people. The most powerful movements in American history — from civil rights to marriage equality — understood that a virtuous message means little if it isn’t properly conveyed. And yes, if a couple of idiots on the fringes do bad things, it’s incumbent on the media not to magnify them as though they’re representative of the whole crowd.
And equally important, for their part, police must not feed the beast. Cops’ job is to protect the right to protest, not intimidate or escalate.
Keep marching, America. Keep the pressure on. Do it with moral righteousness, full hearts and cool heads.
