Protesters Show Democrats How to Fight - The Thursday AM Quickie 2/6/25
Here's a little silver lining: the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, now owns the Proud Boys' trademark, so they can't sell merch, and what they have sold, they owe to the church they terrorized. - Corey
ON THE SHOW TODAY
2/6: It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with Allison J. Pugh, professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, to discuss her recent book The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World. Then, she's joined by Zachary Foster, author of the Palestine Nexus newsletter, to discuss Trump's recent announcements and intentions to "take over" the Gaza Strip.
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Today you'll read about the latest on Elon Musk's mission to destroy the US government on behalf of Donald Trump, how Palestinians are responding to Trump's threat to take over Gaza, and what the monkey-wrenching of the National Labor Relations Board means for union organizers.
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THE BIG NEWS
Thousands Turn Out for Pro-Democracy Protests
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the bootlicking Republican Party have enjoyed little opposition, formal or informal, as they replace the United States Constitution with a far-right MAGA monarchy. But there are signs that this is changing.
Yesterday thousands of people joined anti-Trump, pro-democracy protests at state capitols and city halls around the country. The protests were organized using the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests in 50 states in one day. "We need to show strength," Laura Wilde, a protester in Austin, Texas, tells the Associated Press. "I think we'[ve been] in a state of shock."
The organizers, who put the mass gatherings together over 10 days, were "supported by" the Political Revolution PAC, a group formed by volunteers for Vermont socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns. Their published "requests" include for Trump "to step down or be removed from the presidency through impeachment"; investigations of Trump appointees; criminal accountability for Elon Musk; the overturning of executive orders that infringe on human rights; a ban on Nazi salutes and other Nazi propaganda; and a restoration of diversity policies. A good start!
Days before the 5051 protests, thousands of pro-immigrant demonstrators shut down a freeway in downtown Los Angeles, chanting "nobody is illegal."
Elected Democrats, who've been busy making excuses about their inability to stop Trump and Musk's unconstitutional agenda, may also be waking from their slumber. Some lawmakers have joined protests outside federal agencies, NBC News reports.
New York Squad Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling for her Senate colleagues to "blow this place up" – metaphorically. "This is not business as usual, and Senate Democrats should not be treating this as business as usual," AOC tells Politico. "We need to see a halt on all Trump nominees." Members of the public, meanwhile, are flooding Senate offices with "unprecedented volumes" of calls – prompted, per the AP, by progressive nonprofit groups including Indivisible.
And while some Democrats, like Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, have cozied up to Trump in his second term, next year's midterm elections will brings another chance to pressure or unseat party members who aren't tough enough. Yesterday Saikat Chakrabarti, a former aide to AOC, announced he would challenge 84-year-old California Rep. and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the powerful former House Speaker. "I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago," Chakrabarti says. ""Watching Trump and Elon freely unleash chaos in their illegal seizure of government, it's become clear to me that the Democratic Party needs new leadership." Amen.