At the time of writing, the third round of “No Kings” protests is upon us. For context, No Kings is an ongoing series of protests organized by Indivisible and the 50501 movement to protest the growing authoritarianism and flagrant violations of civil and human rights committed every day by the second administration of President Donald Trump. It has been estimated that the protests have drawn between 4 and 6 million people, or roughly 1.5% of the total American population. These events are typically accompanied by music, speeches, marches, and chants to signify the wide opposition to the anti-human and elite-first policies of the Trump administration and the ruling class at large.
One of the more notable details about the No Kings protests is the wide strata of organizations in attendance. From Democratic Party loyalists to anarchists, through communists and beyond, every ideology even marginally to the left of fascism has shown some participation in these events. However, as much as they have attracted a broad spectrum of ideologies, these events have also attracted a good deal of left-flank criticism. These critiques come primarily from the notion that No Kings demonstrations are entirely performative and show no material impact, nor threat of further subversion, and only serve to release tension that could otherwise be directed into revolutionary efforts. This analysis embodies a common eclectic and ultraleftist position: that any action outside of directly facilitating a socialist revolution is fundamentally futile and unhelpful. While—in theory—it is well-intentioned, this position fundamentally denies not only the reality that the conditions for revolution in the United States have not yet been met, but also the material fact that No Kings and other, more theatrical or “parade-like” forms of protest do, in a way, further the revolutionary goals of organizations more radical than the ones organizing the event.
To first address the question of why people don’t simply effect revolution directly, rather than engaging in what some may call non-violent or so-called “ineffective” protest, we turn to what must occur for a revolutionary transformation to take place. The political program of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, one of the leading political organizations grounded in scientific socialism, provides a strong answer. They have denoted the three primary conditions that must be met in order for the coming revolutionary change to occur in the United States.
“First, the broad masses of people—workers, the oppressed nationalities, and others who are held down by monopoly capitalists—need to arrive at the conclusion that they are unable to live in the old way and need to be willing to fight to bring the old order to an end. Second, the ruling class needs to be in [a] real crisis, where it is divided against itself and unable to continue with business as usual. And finally, there needs to be a strong revolutionary organization, a communist party that is capable of navigating complex political situations and that can lead the fight to establish working-class political power.”
— Political Program of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, 2022 ed.
As it stands, these conditions have not yet been met. There are still significant currents of reformism and careerism that permeate all non-ruling classes in the United States, and, in general, the masses of the people are still comfortable enough—although this is ever-diminishing—such that revolutionary change and sacrifice do not yet seem feasible. Secondly, the ruling imperialist class is, by and large, unified behind Trumpism and is not actively at war with itself. Thirdly, there does not currently exist a single revolutionary communist organization that has the capability of establishing truly popular power. The central task of scientific socialists must be to establish these conditions to the fullest extent of their capacities, including, but not limited to, elevating the overall level of popular consciousness through agitation and propaganda.
Relatedly, we said previously that No Kings’ Day features organizers and organizations from all manner of ideologies. Most importantly, it includes a strong contingent of scientific socialists—the theorists, strategists, and general staff of revolution. Fundamentally, No Kings’ Day and protest events like it bring everyday people—who may have a sense that something is wrong, but may lack a sense of any solution or any organization—into direct physical and ideological contact with the people who do have solutions. In New Orleans (where The Daily Salad is based and the conditions of which are our central focus), No Kings events prominently feature opportunities for various organizations—including scientific socialists like the aforementioned Freedom Road Socialist Organization—to spread their line and involve the masses of the people in everyday struggle. No Kings’ Day is, in effect, an organizers’ dream made manifest when it comes to outreach and party-building. The event brings together masses of people who are angry with the current system and those who have dedicated themselves to its overthrow.
What remains central is that the masses of the people must be met where they are. They must be found and organized; their struggles must be synthesized and generalized in a scientific manner and promptly returned to them through struggle. The masses of the people do have the independent, creative, and conscious character that is necessary for social revolution, construction, and transformation, but it must be fully realized through direct connection with them. As Kim Jong-il once said,
“Since the masses are the decisive force that propels the revolution and construction, one can successfully solve any difficult problem and energetically speed up the revolution and construction only when one relies on them.”
— Kim Jong-il, Eternal General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea
The people are the masters of everything and decide everything, and they cannot decide on revolution until they are brought into contact with correct ideas, successful action, and revolutionary zeal. No Kings’ Day may not be the utopian ideal of an instant revolution that brings President Trump and his puppeteers to justice, but it is what we have, and it is what we must work with.
