I was taught by the SDS in 1968

[SARose]

How and why to protest nonviolently.

You link arms and stand shoulder-to-shoulder. Bullhorns blaring “hold the line!”, “hold the line!” And you do because you are too scared to move.

There are dogs snapping and snarling at the edges. There are fire trucks spraying water. There is singing, chanting, tear gas, and chaos. There is fear - on both sides.

Then the arrests begin. Don’t resist. Lay down - make them pick you up by the feet and arms and sling you into a paddy wagon.

The purpose of this nonviolent protest is to make the police the aggressors - not you. Yes, there are anarchists and, sometimes, paid agitators in the crowd.

American flags are flying everywhere - not other countries flags. No cars are set on fire and no one loots.

“The whole world’s watching!”

In San Antonio and surroundings there are lots of folks who would support a peaceful protest - not these cherry picked mob scenes by the media.

The current LA unrest could give TACO man an excuse to shut down Saturday’s planned protests.

Just my two cents.

[dem4decades]

1. I remember one of the chants while marching "Higher pay for cops"

[Maru Kitteh]

4. That's brilliant. nt

[dem4decades]

5. They were all along the march, seemed like a good idea, when the leaders started the chant.

[Wicked Blue]

17. The Yippies used that chant at Rutgers

[brush]

2. Another Kent State is brewing.

[Silent Type]

6. Afraid so. Although so far it's pretty much police -- rather than Guard -- doing the damage.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Trying to use LA as an excuse to shut down whole USA won't work, but DC streets will be scoured for dissenters

1) They aren't organized for national deployments of guard and troops; the weekend military meeting at Camp David not withstanding. There is a lot to talk about with the military: rooting out woke, belligerating against Iran, pumping weapons into Israel, squeezing Ukraine, resetting military to deal with drones, Kegsbreath "leadership", Big Beautiful? Parade, ....

2) The public won't stand for it. No Kings day is going to have a lot of families out, some children, very different from confrontations with ICE which is at the root of the LA unrest.

3) tRump won't want news outside DC interfering with what he hopes is media dominance with his masturb masterful birthday bash.

[SARose]

9. And that's what you want

Women and children singing “God Bless America,” “This Land is Your Land,” “My Country ‘‘tis of Thee”, and We Shall Over Come.”

Trump would have a conniption fit watching Americans singing patriotic songs while nonviolently marching.

Take back patriotism from the Facists because

“The Whole World’s Watching”

Take away his photo op.

[erronis]

15. They'll be trying to take away any "photo ops" that aren't favorable to the regime

Push the press corps out of range - use tear gas and "non-lethal" rounds on the press. Perhaps let a FUX/maga-friendly outlet get some good shots.

Confiscate phones and search for social media posts.

Make it a crime to publish any material defamatory to the regime.

[tinrobot]

7. Sitting/laying down exposes the perpetrators

If the police are the only ones standing, any violence they create is on full display.

[EYESORE 9001]

8. Something I learned during my union organizing days

The guy with the good explosives is always a Fed.

[Basso8vb]

10. The police ARE the rioters.

[SARose]

11. Can you imagine

A split screen shot of tanks and troops marching in Washington and Americans of every color, size, and shape standing shoulder-to-shoulder singing

God bless America
Land that I love
Stand beside her
And guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains
To the prairies
To the oceans
White with foam
God bless America
My home sweet home

💕

[Ms. Toad]

12. Somehow, I don't believe that the SDS training included not flying other country's' flags

I'm absolutely with you on the rest of it.

But policing what flags are carried, when the protest is about how we are treating citizens of other counties, is offensive.

Would I carry a flag from another country? Nope - no more than I would carry this country's flag. But there is nothing violence-inducing or offensive about carrying the flag - whatever the country it represents.

[SARose]

13. I never said SDS trained for that

I said

American flags are flying everywhere - not other countries flags.

If you are offended by that I apologize. It was not my intention to offend anyone.

The photo of an “rioter” 🙄 holding a foreign flag is just what Trumpy wants to use over and over in 2026.

Why give him this?

[Ponietz]

16. It's the U.S. flag that stands for the right to protest

MAGA sees a Mexican flag and reasons “If you love Mexico so much we’ll help you go live there”. Mexican flags trigger them.

Many Hispanics who identify with the U.S. flag voted for Lump. One needs to understand the split within the Hispanic community.

[rickyhall]

14. I remember...

[TomWilm]

18. Thanks, buddy!

I also did my first sitdowns in '68, though that was a school child . But I am still doing it. One good memory was with German kaoten - the best organized crowd, I have been working with.

The police was provoking them worse and worse, and then one guy started to throw some bottles. Next second all around him had him pinned down and searched - and then they walked him to the police line: "One of your guys" - he had a police ID....

Another time when we were peacefully walking through a big town, again police started to provoke. This time the whole demonstration sat down, and the police leader was called. He was told to withdraw the special police squad, or we would keep sitting there - blocking the whole town. He did as ordered.

Idiots burning cars is as big a problem, as the police themselves. Organizing and training, planning and executing the plans in affinity groups - can change the world!

[Prairie Gates]

19. How'd that work out for us?

Dear Boomers, take your own generation's advice on that old road and get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand.

[SARose]

20. Let's not generation bash here, please

I did more than my share back in the day and still am.

I want to see 40-50 something’s take up the torch. It’s your time.

Twenties and thirties - bring us your social media skills. Bring your videography.

America needs you more than ever. ✌️

[Ponietz]

21. Boomer bashers might want to vote next time

[senseandsensibility]

22. K and R my friend!

I appreciate your experience and wisdom. It makes me sad that some don't want to listen to what your generation learned. The tactics of the Civil Rights movement were SUCCESSFUL. Lives were lost learning how to protest successfully. We would be stupid and ungrateful not to listen.

[Iris]

23. Thanks for sharing. Experiences like yours need to be resurfaced

[SARose]

24. Thank you all

Yes it was hard but I was 18, trusting and invincible. 😬

Then Kent State happened and my Dad was like “seee I told you! Work within the system! Be the change you want!”

So I did. Diddy bopped my way into an AME church in South Louisiana with a folding table, chair, portable typewriter and stacks of voter registration cards and got to work. First person I registered was a 90 something year old black man. He had never voted because he could not write his name - in cursive.🙄 So his granddaughter taught him - in cursive. The smile on that man’s face was incredible.🤭

My Dad “What the heck are you doing! They are going to burn a cross in our front yard!”

Can’t win for losing. 😂

Still doing voter registration, occasionally. Seeing that same smile on an 18 year old’s face is soul satisfying. This, too, is quickly disappearing thanks to modern technology.

Light and love

Rose

[Ping Tung]

25. Nonviolence is really tough. You don't practice nonviolence at conferences; you practice it on picket-lines.

Cesar Chavez

As I recall, I joined SDS in 1967.