Finding Your People
Photo via Mass 50501 Volunteer
The next No Kings protest is right around the corner, with over 100 events scheduled just in Massachusetts and thousands more all across the country. As the planning comes together, we here at Mass 50501 have heard a number of people saying they want to participate in the Boston No Kings protest, which is expected to get about 200,000 attendees. However, many people have expressed that they don’t want to go alone, but they aren’t sure how to connect with other attendees beforehand. If that describes you, then worry not! There are many ways you can find protest buddies in advance of the big day.
A reliable and low-stakes way to make like-minded friends is by attending events that are focused on or adjacent to the activism that interests you. In the case of No Kings III, that might mean going to a sign making event, like the one that Mass 50501 and Boston Indivisible have organized. Our Resistance Sign Making Workshop will take place in Boston two weeks before No Kings, and it’s likely that your local Indivisible chapter is planning to host something similar in your area. You can find your closest group here, or sign up for notifications on No Kings preparation events, like sign making and stand outs.
Some businesses in the Boston area, including All She Wrote Books, are hosting day-of sign making workshops for attendees to gather at, craft together, and then head to the protest as a group. Others a little further from Boston, like the Purple Couch Bookshop in North Andover, are running similar programs the day before the protest. These kinds of events are perfect for any solo protesters looking to buddy up.
Volunteers with Mass 50501 have been working to organize community building events at various times and locations across the state, with themes ranging from craftivism meet-ups to companionable drinks at a local bar. The next event is a get-together at Democracy Brewing on March 24 at 6 pm. More events like these are still in planning, but keep an eye on our newsletter for updates!
Another great way to make protest buddies is by befriending people at a protest. For many, it may feel less intimidating to join a smaller, more local event to find your people, and then plan to attend a big event, like No Kings, together. There are so many smaller events that you could likely participate in one every single day between now and March 28, from standouts to bridge brigades. You can sort events by date and location on Mobilize to find ones that are a good fit for you, and there are numerous anti-ICE protests that occur on a regular basis. Many of these focus on shutting down the Burlington ICE facility, including Bearing Witness on Wednesdays, Justice 4 All on Thursdays, BURN on alternating Fridays, No Fear Street Theater on Saturdays, and Fix ICE on Mondays and Tuesdays. These events are often full of music, singing, chanting, sea shanties, and speeches, and they are a perfect place to find others who are ready to take down ICE and Trump’s fascist regime.
Finally, the simplest—but sometimes scariest—way to find protest pals is to invite friends, family members, or coworkers to attend with you. Although this can feel intimidating, if you ask someone who you know shares your values and who you think would be interested in attending, you’re likely to get a yes in response. Talking about the challenges facing our country is important, and the only way we can win this fight is together. So buddy up, bundle up, and bring on the next No Kings!
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