Signs and Scenes from 'No Kings'

I’m not going to shit on the No Kings protests. If it is a sign that people are waking up, then excellent

However ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/OrXvcuxs2w

— Jason Call 🇵🇸 🇨🇩🇸🇩 CM ButchWare 4 CA Gov’26 (@CallForCongress) June 14, 2025

Back in the Aughts, when I was a Democrat, I participated happily in marches and protests like yesterday's. I went to Crawford and Camp Casey. In 2011 I marched in downtown Houston during the Occupy uprising. (I spoke with corporate media at both events but my remarks were left out of their reports.) I felt empowered and enthused by doing so. There was no social media at that time so we bloggers made the news happen, swelling our heads with our perceived influence.

We sincerely felt like we had the power to change the world. History reminds us we had little sway. Yesterday's events were cathartic for participants and most observers, but after twenty years of evidence, these actions not only don't move the needle but actually create an atmosphere for worsening the problems for which we demand redress.

George W. Bush bombed Iraq and got re-elected. Annise Parker had the cops sweep Occupy out of the Houston park because the Bayou City Art Festival was looming on the calendar. Texas Progressive Chode Kuffner is still posting how much he likes her. This is your latest clue that voting for Ds or Rs isn't solving anything. So if you got out in the heat and exercised your 1A rights yesterday, enjoy the feels, but if you saw Ukraine flags or signs like this one ...

The world could be ending and liberals would be complaining that the meteors had the audacity to ruin their brunch. pic.twitter.com/NRXIngHu1N

— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) June 15, 2025

... be clear about what happens next.

Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in Democratic-run cities, undeterred by protests https://t.co/o6k12djSXM

— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) June 16, 2025

Point made, enjoy the views.

Photos from Houston Chronicle journalists show Houston's "No Kings" protest where thousands gathered at City Hall and marched through downtown. https://t.co/CelqVfRR1f pic.twitter.com/V637GdGOLq

— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) June 14, 2025

Photos: Thousands gather at Texas Capitol in Austin for anti-Trump 'No Kings' protest. See photos https://t.co/f5yfX0Q5It

— Austin Statesman (@statesman) June 15, 2025

Thousands marching peacefully in Downtown Dallas #NoKings march pic.twitter.com/lFlPuz64kL

— Cash Sirois (@CashSports) June 14, 2025

This might be my favorite sign I saw at the No Kings protest today in San Antonio pic.twitter.com/axVXPCtAXF

— future corpse 🧟‍♂️🪦 (@_future_c0rpse) June 15, 2025

Best protest sign spotted in Providence, Rhode Island.

Hang it at the Louvre. pic.twitter.com/3Z5ly2bzqO

— kathleenlayton (@kathleenlala) June 14, 2025

Salt Lake City seniors heading out for a #NoKingsProtest in front of their assisted living facility bright and early this morning. pic.twitter.com/lhksec7O95

— Stephanie Mencimer (@smencimer) June 14, 2025

pic.twitter.com/FnosKaFgzC

— Tony Michaels 🎙 (@thetonymichaels) June 14, 2025

Update: Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters thinks Trump's birthday parade "could have used some drag queens".

"Raining on His Parade" Funnies

Was it just a week ago ...

MUSK ROWS BACK pic.twitter.com/DW693x33ki

— Marian Kamensky (@MarianKamensky1) June 11, 2025

That seemed like a big deal at the time, didn't it. Over the past seven days, several brand new shitshows blew up. With limited commentary from me and marginally in chronological order...

#Israel prevents humanitarian aid from entering #Gaza, entering international waters to do so.

The seizure of the Madleen ship is a war crime carried out in international waters, preventing aid from reaching the starving civilian population of Gaza.@MintPressNews pic.twitter.com/JMayC38Vfd

— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) June 9, 2025

"I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg." -- Trump

He meant that sarcastically, but he stumbled right into the truth.

This weekend's @theipaper cartoon#Netanyahu pic.twitter.com/srYoRJpUuy

— Ben Jennings (@BJennings90) June 13, 2025

@LatuffCartoons 2010 pic.twitter.com/V7xWMh81pP

— HaShem (@HaShem_GAZA_) June 12, 2025

Poor IDF - probably destroyed their massive stockpile of Western-funded Huggies diapers, stolen Palestinian female garments for their tik tok videos, & what little remained of their self respect internationally. pic.twitter.com/4zoogPhNRz

— Write Brain TV (@WriteBrainTV) June 14, 2025

When Padilla interrupted Noem during her press conference to try to ask a question, the DHS secretary had just said that her agents were in Los Angeles "to liberate this city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and this mayor have placed on this country."

BREAKING: Trump pauses immigration arrests at farms, hotels, and restaurants. Proof that mass protests work. pic.twitter.com/BDWBnlhnO1

— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) June 14, 2025

Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week ~ my world is in mourning 🙏🙏so sad ❤️❤️xx pic.twitter.com/NXPfKzy7Ml

— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) June 11, 2025

It’s such bullshit that we lost both Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in the same week. Why do we always have to lose people we like? Why can’t it be a politician or something

— That radical social work chick (@sandinistaoliva) June 11, 2025

In Minnesota, a person posing as a police officer shot two Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses in what Gov. Walz called an “act of targeted political violence.”

Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed early Saturday morning in their home. The gunman also… pic.twitter.com/yr8nDGblow

— PBS News (@NewsHour) June 14, 2025

Might collate some No Kings protest photos and signs later if I feel like it.