Best way to protest inaguration. West Coast edition.

January 3, 2017 10:47 AM

My friend and I are considering whether to fly from California to DC. Best use of resources?

We have a place to stay so that is not the issue. Is this really the best way to spend our time and resources to communicate our displeasure to the universe? One round trip ticket could cost $300-$600 over the weekend. Are there organizations better served by this money? Perhaps we can buy 1000 vuvuzelas for a group already protesting? Perhaps this money could be used to bus 10 people from a neighboring city, instead of just two people from the west coast?

posted by Captain Chesapeake to Human Relations (12 answers total)

You might want to get tangled up with this group.
posted by bearwife at 10:53 AM on January 3, 2017

Is this really the best way to spend our time and resources to communicate our displeasure to the universe?

The right answer here, as with many cases of political activism, is really boring and unsatisfying. The most effective thing you can do is almost certainly just to price out the tickets and instead donate it to the NAACP or Planned Parenthood or DCCC/DSCC.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:00 AM on January 3, 2017 [29 favorites]

seconding ROU_Xenophobe. but also, hit the streets here in CA! there'll be massive marches in every major city, and I think cross-country turnout will be incredibly important.
posted by changeling at 11:11 AM on January 3, 2017 [12 favorites]

I went to the Inauguration 4 years ago. It was an incredible experience, but it was also expensive, crowded, cold, hectic, frustrating, etc. - and this was for a President I *liked*.

If you want to go experience the Inauguration itself, and/or the protests as part of a historical event, I totally encourage you to do so. However, I don't know how politically valuable that will be. If you're looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of political action, I'd skip the trip and instead donate that money to organizations instead. Then, go to a local protest.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:12 AM on January 3, 2017 [3 favorites]

Here's a dated and likely incomplete list of protests through the inauguration, including some in California, with links to the event pages. There's a counter-celebration in Los Angeles, if you want to join something of the sort.

Otherwise, search for protests in your city and cities around you and you're bound to find something closer to home, which will cut down on travel expenses.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:22 AM on January 3, 2017

If you fly to DC, you're causing a ton of fuel to be used, no matter that the plane flies full. This is an expense the Regime would applaud and encourage.
Stick around home and protest. You'll be causing less waste and having more fun.
posted by BostonTerrier at 12:05 PM on January 3, 2017 [5 favorites]

Have a demonstration in your own town. If possible, pick a place that has some federal connection, like the local federal courthouse, or the offices of your local member of Congress. Tell all your local friends and ask them to tell their friends. Announce it on Facebook and Twitter. Just show up. Noon, your time, 1/21/17. Bring signs.
posted by mareli at 12:39 PM on January 3, 2017 [3 favorites]

Please protest. It is important to be visible as an American who does not stand for the platform that has brought this new regime to power. Preserving our rights will take an effort on our part, we will need to get used to making that effort (case in point, the attempt to banish the Ethics committee today by G.O.P, which was thwarted by a backlash, in addition we have the new scandal of Indonesia and the mining company... the list goes on...) There is a group forming known as Trump Resistance Roadshow that you might be interested in-(it has the Center for Biological Diversity as well as the Sierra Club and Washington chapter of the ACLU involved).
posted by metajim at 1:57 PM on January 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I agree that you should 1) stay home and do something local, and 2) donate the money you would have spent to an DC-area advocacy group. Maximum bang for your buck comes from donating to groups that have history and expertise with organizing in the district. I'd recommend Black Lives Matter DMV; these folks are doing great work, and $300-$600 would be a huge help. I attended a couple of non-violent, direct-action trainings they organized two years ago and can confirm these folks are legit. (I donate every month, myself.)
posted by zebra at 2:42 PM on January 3, 2017

I'd look at the expense as personal enrichment, not effective opposition to Trump. I went to the March on Washington for LGBT rights in 1993. It was amazing and one of my most cherished events. It was totally worth the expense but entirely for me. The solidarity of that event, hundreds of thousands of queers together, it was great. (Also it was a hell of a fun party.) I wouldn't find the Trump inauguration protests nearly as empowering, so I'm not planning to go to DC.

If you want something local in San Francisco, the ANSWER Coalition has a plan for 5pm Jan 20. There's also a women's march (in solidarity with DC) planned for 4pm Jan 21.
posted by Nelson at 4:46 PM on January 3, 2017 [2 favorites]

In terms of most effective, you've got a bunch of good suggestions.

In terms of memorable: It's definitely going to be memorable here, but probably for the wrong reasons. We are hunkering down for a total shitshow. I've had multiple calls/messages out of the blue from people looking for a place to crash for the March. Our overwhelmed infrastructure has been barely handling a normal level of commuters. Inauguration is a vacation day for many of us, so hopefully that will help a little with transportation.

We haven't had any real snow yet, but DC is notoriously bad at handling snow, and it will possibly be really cold. There will be trash and idling, polluting tour buses everywhere. People, including myself, will be unpleasant.

So I guess I would wait to visit DC till Spring, and march where you are.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:47 PM on January 5, 2017

..bunch of other protest happening (all listed on fb)
here, and here, also this one
This one also in Oakland
Many happening in Seattle and Olympia also (just search kiro tv news and that will take you to FB page.
posted by metajim at 9:08 PM on January 10, 2017