At ‘No Kings' protests against Trump, remember this civil rights icon
The spectacle in downtown Washington, D.C., estimated to cost U.S. taxpayers north of $50 million when it's all said and done, is to mark, in the most ostentatious way, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
As someone whose brother and three uncles (as well as numerous other friends and relatives) served in that proud military branch, I wholeheartedly agree that it is a birthday worth noting. But President Trump, as is his wont, has turned it into a gaudy celebration of him worthy of an authoritarian regime because it's his birthday . . . sheesh.
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Cue the concerns that this has a lot of people feeling some kind of way; and rightly so given the growing tension around Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids from Tallahassee to Omaha to San Diego. (I won't get into the hypocrisy compared to the deadly Jan. 6 insurrectionists' attack on the U.S. Capitol Building.)
And coming as it is, in the wake of the president siccing the California National Guard and U.S. Marines on largely peaceful protesters in Los Angeles over the past week, the planned Russian-style military procession of troops, tanks and missiles in our nation's capitol is all the more galling to many citizens. So much so that the arrests and detainment of several hundred protesters, so far, have inspired some 1,800 "No Kings Day" protests throughout the country — including Palm Beach County.
To be sure, there have been a relative handful of rioters and looters who've taken advantage of the situation by burning several cars, defacing storefronts and even throwing water bottles at police. Thankfully no law enforcement has been reported injured. But police have also responded with force using batons and firing rubber bullets to quell the violence.
That's why during these "No Kings Day" protests, I implore those exercising their right to peaceful assembly to indeed follow the lead of one king: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Remember, King made "peaceful protests" the centerpiece of the Civil Rights Movement. And it was effective.
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Yes, there were plenty of doubters along the way, both inside and outside of the movement. How could there not be when you're being beaten, bloodied and fire-hosed every day. Imagine the intestinal fortitude needed to not strike back, or return the next day after watching you wife or child being attacked by a police dog.
But King's message of "passive resistance" through peaceful boycotts, sit-ins and protests, from the streets to the lunch counters, no matter your pain or anger is what eventually won the day. It's a hard lesson lost on many of us today seeking instant gratification rather than strapping in for the long haul.
Over and over again, King stressed that returning fire only played into their attackers' hands. It's worth mentioning here that King didn't have to contend with "edited" video and deepfakes on social media. But that violence only gave them the excuse to do even more terrible things, and eventually drown out the message of treating people humanely. Today's protests, and those to come, are an opportunity to show those lessons are not lost.
Peace.
Rick Christie is the Florida State Opinion Group Editor for the USA Today Network-Florida and Interim Editorial Page Editor for The Palm Beach Post. You can email him at RChristie@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: At Trump protests, remember Martin Luther King Jr. | Opinion
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