As ICNL’s Protest crackdown tracker shows, state lawmakers in Republican-controlled states have been quick to respond to the rise of new social movements with laws to suppress protests. In 2021, the worst year on record, 92 anti-protest bills were introduced, compared with just 52 in 2017, when we started our tracker. Yet these bills often fail to become law, and the majority of protests are not even subject to any laws aimed at them.
But that’s not stopping some politicians from trying to tamp down protests by calling them “hate America rallies” or warning that they will bring in foreign nationals to disrupt public order. Trump has specifically targeted Democratic-controlled cities in his efforts to send in the National Guard, though his attempts in Chicago, Portland, and New York City have been blocked by legal challenges.
Protesters across the country are heeding the call to come out this weekend for what is being billed as “No Kings” day of demonstrations. The group behind the event has emphasized that the marches are not about immigration or race, but are about fighting back against what they say is the encroaching authoritarianism of the Trump administration. It’s a movement they hope will spread.
Some demonstrators are taking precautions against the potential escalation of federal law enforcement action, including staying with groups and setting up meetup locations in case they get separated from their friends. Others are using encrypted communication apps to protect their privacy and prevent their calls or texts from being tracked.