this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2025

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Today, over 3 million people stood up to the billionaire-backed hostile government takeover. (i.redd.it)

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

102 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://50501.chat/post/93776

We are building a massive, visible, national rejection of this crisis—and today’s numbers are proof that the people—the majority—are taking action to stop a hostile government takeover.

Because let’s be clear: We do not have a functioning democracy anymore. Trump and his billionaire allies have dismantled our system of checks and balances, stacked the courts, silenced dissent, and declared themselves above the law.

They are disappearing people, attacking universities and the free press, and purging agencies meant to protect the people—from the environment to civil rights to public health.

This is not politics as usual. This is a hostile takeover by billionaires, corporations, and authoritarian enablers.

They are gutting the country for parts—and selling us out in the process.

They are not leaders. They are traitors to the people of this country.

So we are building a People’s Movement. And history shows that when just 3.5% of the population engages in sustained, peaceful resistance—transformative change is inevitable.

But we have to earn it. And we have to fight for it.

We may no longer have a functioning democracy—but we still have a chance to restore it. The window is closing though. And we are the ones who must rise to meet this moment.

So here’s what you can do: 📱 Use the 5 Calls app or Resist Bot to contact your elected officials—every single day.

🎤 Demand town halls. Show up at their public appearances.

🚫 Boycott the corporations funding this hostile takeover.

🗣️ Talk to your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. Don’t let them sleep through this moment.

📸 Share protest footage, updates, and facts on social media. Amplify the truth—because the billionaires are trying to drown it out.

📲 And follow us to stay connected, get updates, and join future actions.

We are not alone. We are not powerless. And we are not backing down.

#50501movement #PeoplesMovement #FiftyFiftyOne #50501 #ImpeachTrump #HandsOff #April5

Originally Posted By u/FiftyFifty1Movement At 2025-04-05 07:56:36 PM | Source

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago

the pictures of rallies were absolutely impressive. Good job America !

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They just destroyed 6 to 10 years of retirement funds for most of us and the number of money loss is increasing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

If I'd known it was going to be this bad I would've shifted my assets but now I'd just lock in the losses.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 3 days ago (2 children)

All the news outlets are reporting "thousands" and showing smaller protests, they're trying to sweep it under the rug. Even here in Australia they're reporting "thousands". To try and minimise. (Murdoch media)

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago

There were 100k+ in DC alone.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There are thousands of protests though, with thousands of people each.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago

They're specifically referring to the amount of people who turned up. Saying thousands, when it's actually millions, changes the power and therefore the narrative, they hope. Have a look what is being reported, vs what's available to see, in personal accounts online. It's a good way to notice how much is screened and changed to serve the billionaires who own the media. It's an important thing to notice. If we had accurate reporting, and free media, not owned by billionaires with capitalist agendas. Would authoritarians even get voted in.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 4 days ago (12 children)

I hate to ask this, but is this really going to make any difference with Trump/Musk et al. ?

I mean, they sure as fuck aren’t going to clean up their act (maybe try to hide it more now); sure as shit they won’t leave the office/WH either. None of their policies will change by their own hand.

So.

What did it change yesterday?

3 M across the country? I think you need 3 Million in one place - ie Washington DC. Enough to show them, Jan 6 was nothing.

Otherwise, I fear they will just, “ride out the news cycle and double down again before The People can organize again.

The spark is lit now, but it hasn’t caught yet enough to burn this evil shit down.

BLOW ON IT!!!

Let’s get this to 10, 20M nationwide, with millions descend in on wherever Trump is at the moment (golf course? Lol).

This was big, but not big enough I fear.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

God, I'm sick of these concern trolls trying to dissuade the people from taking action in Every. Single. Thread about protests. You're wrong, go away if you have nothing positive to contribute. We're just getting started.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

If you’re calling me a troll, let me clarify something. When I said blow on it, i meant to encorage “the spark”; for you sir however, I use it in the pejorative.

[–] [email protected] 83 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

More people showed up in DC yesterday (100k ) than at Jan 6th (80k high estimate - snopes.com ).

This is the beginning, not the end result. Protest activity is off the charts and rising steadily:

Link to full article from WagingNonViolence.org

These movements take time to build, but this one is building much faster than previous efforts. I've been on the front lines since the 2nd Iraq War protests (which were huge) and this movement is already larger, smarter, and more organized.

It is making a difference - don't allow yourself to believe otherwise. You can see the cracks starting already with the infighting at the top of Trump's team and the defection of key republicans.

They're just as scared of our mob as they are of theirs.

Because we're stronger than they are - there are a lot more of us - and we have REAL cause to be angry now.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 4 days ago

What's really interesting about the effort to dismiss these protests is by comparing them to centrally organized protests of the past like the women's march. Those antiwar protests are probably the closest comparison since there was no institutional backing then either.

The thing that gets me is that this movement is literally from reddit, by redditors, organized by real people exclusively. No corporate sponsors or dem support, no campaigning or fundraising. Just people going to the streets saying "we are peaceful now. Do not force our hand" and 3 million came out.

Keep pushing the message keep spreading the info, this is the result after only 2 months of activity that went completely unseen on any mainstream media. Make them regret it. Make them being afraid your greatest weapon. Those republican stooges love to hear MSm isn't covering something. Wake them up. Turn them into patriots willing to fight for this country. Dismantle this regime and return power to Americans.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This wasn't the first nationwide protest of his second term nor will it be the last. This was the 4th nationwide 50501 protest. Plus other movement like Tesla Takedown had large nationwide protests prior too. It's just that now it's gotten large enough that the media can no longer ignore it. It took time to get here. Each protest keeps getting larger than the last

Millions of people have just been put in touch with the various local groups organizing these protests. Usually at these protests they'll be people going around giving info, sigining people up for mailing lists, etc. That's a good part of how each protest gets bigger

Besides just protests, that will enable much more action and more rapid action in the future. For instance Indivisible does tons of work on directed pressure of congress and local leaders. 50501 organized smaller boycotts in the past when the crowds were smaller. Now they can organize boycotts more with more effect

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 days ago

Exactly on the more action part. Right now connections are being made and organizations are organizing and mobilizing people. It takes time to mobilize people and the size of these protests will hopefully encourage more.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

One thing unique about Trump/Musk is they really do live in a Kool-Aid filled bubble.

Hitler, Stalin, especially "modern" dictators like Putin and Kim seem well-informed. Surrounded by yes-men, sure, but they have a good information apparatus, some intelligence, and a much "higher" view than their general population. They know some lies they tell, they know what they're doing.

Trump? Musk? They are utterly coddled by algorithmic, warped, narcissistic information environments. Everything post they see, everything people tell them, every waking moment strokes titanic egos. They live in a disinformation bubble, which is both a weakness (it leads to objectively self-harming decisions traditional dictators wouldn't make) and a danger (they are extremely insulated from protests. They truly think they're Chosen Ones in the eyes of "good" Americans).

Hence, I think they are going to ignore large protests because they earnestly think it isn't a big deal. Which is good, as it might allow the protests to get extremely large and gravity to take effect.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

The thing is, Trump is dumber that Musk, but he's older, wiser (which is not intelligence, just knowledge gained from experience,) and Trump knows, and has accepted that the "peasants" don't like him, and he's never liked them. He's learned how to con, and grift, and brainwash them over the decades.

But Musk... he's genuinely blindsided, and hurt that the peasants don't see him as Saviour Tony Stark. He's been insulated in his entitled, spoiled, Whiter than White Princely bubble his entire life, and is genuinely destroyed when told no, or mocked. When he was booed off stage at the Chapelle concert, his employees were genuinely concerned he was going to off himself. The narcissistic wound of rejection hurt him that bad. And it's happening again.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (5 children)

“modern” dictators like Putin and Kim seem well-informed.

Putin thought he would take Ukraine in 3 days.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/why-civil-resistance-works/9780231156820/

Here’s a study on how many people you need to effectively start a movement. You’ll be pleased to hears it’s not many. If ever person that went out yesterday brings 4 friends were basically there.

We really need leadership and organization, here, strong messaging, and gathering of people to support popular change. Before we get steamrolled by a dictator. Do not let apathy destroy the world this year.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Yes. Read the author's entire website for inspiration and education. She has lots of papers and books out there.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 days ago (2 children)

We’re trying to scare the Republicans in Congress into growing a spine. If they feel that their seats are threatened, they may actually begin to dissent.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (18 children)

Honestly you are way past that. At this point, the ask should be a complete abolishment of the 2 party system and a full reset

Pretending the mummies from the GOP or the dummies from the DNC will fix this is asking for another topping on the shit Sunday they are serving you

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

5.2 Million*

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

What really matters is the next election cycle, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and gaining control in state govs.

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Congress_elections,_2026

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 days ago

Proud of these people!

[–] nkat2112 18 points 4 days ago

This is huge - thank you for posting this!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Confused: I've heard of 50501 on Lemmy, but today is the first time I've heard of "Hands Off". Are they related?

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Yesterday's protests were organized through many groups working together. 50501 was one of them, as were MoveOn, labor unions like SEIU, Sunrise, DSA, OurRevolution, the Women's March, and many others.

"Hand's Off" was the branding chosen for the day of protest by Indivisible, another large activist group. https://handsoff2025.com/about-1

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 days ago

it's really encouraging. I've thought a lot about it and I don't see many viable alternatives to mass mobilization/protest right now.

lets consider a few of the most common alternatives to protests you hear from online leftists and dismantle them one by one: 1). General Strike 2). Guillotines/purge style violence 3.) Vote harder

what preconditions are necessary for those things to even be possible? how will we get normal, apolitical people leading ignorant lives involved enough to overcome the doomerism/apathy/loneliness/passivity that undercuts our ability to take action? it's going to take enormous social pressure. social pressure is one of the most powerful motivators for humans, at a basic biological level.

1- no one's going on a Strike until they believe that a fuckton of other people are doing it and they won't simply be fired.

2- no one is running out to buy Purge supplies unless they are absolutely convinced that hundreds of thousands of other people are doing it too and they can disappear in the crowd to evade being caught and prosecuted.

3- and as for voting... we all know that ship has sailed. elections are not going to be free or fair here on out (arguably never were). our current elected officials won't listen or won't actually put up a fight (Dems are ineffectual opposition party). and the govt is completely captured by corporations and insiders.. say goodbye to the courts and regulatory agencies who ensure govt accountability. how will winning an election alleviate these systemic problems?

arguably, the strategic and controlled intimidation of government officials (after Jan 6th, trust me, theyre scared of big motivated crowds) using well orchestrated protest events, is exactly how you change things when free and fair elections no longer work.

I'm open to all possibilities... but we need to realize that people have to get up off our asses and go into the world to accomplish any of them. attending a mom and pop friendly protest is a good starting place.

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