I wonder what would happen if the protesters stayed home just until November 4th?

[dlk]

What would be Trump’s pretext then?

[ace3csusm]

1. I agree hold til then nothing will change with this administration

Stay home wear a mask will see you on the 4th...

[rzemanfl]

4. I will think about that while I wash socks. n/t

[Hekate]

8. Agreed.

That was weird

[nolabear]

2. He'd declare victory and tout himself as America's savior.

[Jirel]

3. He'll make one up.

It doesn’t matter. People stay home, he calls it a victory. But he’ll still keep his stormtroopers in the cities, solidifying his power base. Eventually, he’ll need more pretext, and he’ll manufacture it. The goal is to have his stormtroopers in place through Election Day. Protestors are nothing but an excuse to insert them.

[Merlot]

5. He'd call it a win, and it would be.

[misanthrope]

6. Understood but the point is

it would make his tactics and motives even more transparent. I wondered the same about the Portland protestors, "What would Trump use an excuse if the protestors just steered clear of federal property instead of doubling down? It would be easy enough for local media to show that no federal property was involved if the protest movement was better organized and knew how to court media."

[Jirel]

13. He's perfectly transparent now.

There’s no mystery to anyone but a Trump-humpers. But you might recall that Hitler took power and solidified it because the people did NOT maintain resistance. They were quiet. Then it was too late.

If it’ll mean war, so be it. Silence is consent.

[misanthrope]

14. There are plenty of other places in downtown Portland to stage protests

They could be three blocks over in Tom McCall Park. They could be four blocks west in South Park or up in North Park closer to the Pearl. In each case, the feds would have to come up with an excuse to go looking for them.

[LakeArenal]

7. It isn't protesters anyway. Trump is paying mercenaries to agitate chaos.

[dlk]

9. I'm concerned about the election

Trump knows what he’ll face in the courts once he’s out of office & is pulling out all the stops to stay in office.

[lindysalsagal]

10. Alternatively: Only protest where there are no deployments, and all on the same day.

THAT's what I was thinking.

He can't jail the whole country.

[mdelaguna]

11. Nice.

[Dan]

12. One way, but then

It could be presented as everything is fine.

I am thinking more and more that there should be massive passive resistance...

Sit downs, just sit down in protest. Be passive in the face of the federal goons.