The hottest Protests Substack posts right now

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Top World Politics Topics

The Foreign Money Behind Americaā€™s Anti-War Protests

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 746 implied HN points ā€¢ 17 Mar 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Leftist activists quickly mobilized large anti-war protests after U.S. strikes on Iran, using the same slogans and tactics seen in recent antiā€‘ICE and antiā€‘Israel rallies.
  2. The ANSWER Coalition functions as an umbrella for farā€‘left groups, coordinating a demonstrationā€‘industrial ecosystem where organizations share infrastructure, messaging, and reach to produce disruptive rallies.
  3. Many of these organizations are tied to hostile foreign actors, including Chineseā€‘backed networks, which raises concerns about outside funding, coordination, and possible legal or ethical problems.

If You Want Different Outcomes, You Have to Do Different Things

Freddie deBoer ā€¢ 19090 implied HN points ā€¢ 25 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Anger and protest are justified but not enough; you have to pair righteous rage with clear thinking, ruthless self-criticism, and realistic strategy.
  2. Durable change depends on concrete policy demands and sustained political organizing, not just symbolic goals like abolishing an agency without fixing the wider system.
  3. Tactics matter: calls for violence or naive actions like a general strike can backfire, so prioritize disciplined plans that focus on measurable outcomes.

the narrative bombs

bad cattitude ā€¢ 295 implied HN points ā€¢ 10 Mar 26
šŸ“° News Protests
  1. Two young men from suburban families brought ISIS-style bombs to a New York protest, shouted religious slogans, and later pledged allegiance to ISIS; the devices failed to detonate and a massacre was narrowly avoided.
  2. Major media outlets largely downplayed or framed the event in ways that avoided labeling it an Islamist-motivated attack, creating misleading impressions and fueling public distrust.
  3. Bystander videos and primary-source footage exposed what actually happened and undercut many media narratives, but tribal information bubbles mean lots of people still accept different, selective 'facts'.

What Iranians Really Think About the War

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1321 implied HN points ā€¢ 09 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. People are terrified and exhausted by heavy bombing, but many feel they've lived under state terror for decades.
  2. The state appears to be unraveling and many hope the conflict might end the regime, though past brutal crackdowns make people wary of what comes next.
  3. The war is causing real civilian suffering and uncertainty, with strikes aimed at regime sites but still killing children and making daily life dominated by explosions and rumors.

ā€œWeā€™re No Longer Having a Political Debate. Weā€™re Having a Moral Debate.ā€

Breaking the News ā€¢ 9452 implied HN points ā€¢ 27 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Federal agents killed civilians and officials then pushed false selfā€‘defense stories, but video evidence quickly exposed those lies. Realā€‘time footage changed the public record and made accountability possible.
  2. State leaders and ordinary Minnesotans responded with disciplined courage, mutual aid, and clear moral language, refusing to be intimidated. Their unified response helped protect civic rights and reclaim the victimsā€™ stories.
  3. This crisis is a national test of democratic norms and could be a precursor to broader federal overreach, and the successful pushback shows both the cost and power of civic resistance. Americans are being asked to choose a moral side about the use of force and government accountability.
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Activism, Uncensored: The War In Iran

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 1634 implied HN points ā€¢ 04 Mar 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. The U.S.-Israeli strikes sparked immediate, opposing public reactions with both protests and celebrations happening within hours.
  2. Left-wing groups quickly organized emergency protests in multiple cities, with demonstrators directing anger at Israel and President Trump.
  3. The announcement that Iranā€™s supreme leader had been killed intensified the response, leading to on-the-ground celebrations and follow-up rallies.

The War Is Iraniansā€™ Best Chance at Peace

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1136 implied HN points ā€¢ 01 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Some peace advocates ignore how Iranā€™s own government represses and hurts its people, treating calm as acceptable even when citizens suffer daily.
  2. Many Iranians reject that hollow peace because the regime prizes martyrdom rhetoric and funnels scarce resources to proxies instead of caring for its people.
  3. Iranians donā€™t want war, but many see external pressure or conflict as the most likely way to end the regime and achieve a real, lasting peace.

Our Rulers Are Psychopaths And They're Making Everything Awful

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 3567 implied HN points ā€¢ 01 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Those in power are pursuing cruel, dangerous policiesā€”preparing wars, enabling repression, and allowing horrific abuses to continue.
  2. The political system and its leaders have driven intense division and polarization, keeping people fighting each other instead of uniting against abuse.
  3. All this cruelty and chaos is leaving many people exhausted, anguished, and unsure how to respond.

In Australia The Police Beat You Up For Opposing Genocide

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 2388 implied HN points ā€¢ 10 Feb 26
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Police violently suppressed pro-Palestine protests, with videos showing force used on people who appeared to be complying or praying.
  2. New laws and bans on phrases, along with pressure from a powerful lobby, are being used to criminalize and chill pro-Palestine speech and protest.
  3. Without a national bill of rights, Australian civil liberties are weak, so protecting free speech and the right to protest is urgent.

Mob Rule Comes for My Yoga Studio

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 2425 implied HN points ā€¢ 08 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. A yoga studio confrontation in Minneapolis involved crowds berating staff over alleged removal of antiā€‘ICE signs, with shouting, clapping, and crowd pressure.
  2. The scene is described as part of a broader pattern where public spaces are increasingly taken over by shouted ideology, shunning, and 2020ā€‘style mob behavior.
  3. That atmosphere of public shaming and ideological enforcement is pushing longtime residents to leave the city.

Memory-Hole Archive: Political Violence

American Dreaming ā€¢ 740 implied HN points ā€¢ 27 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Political violence became far more common and culturally normalized in the 2010sā€“2020s, fed by polarized rhetoric, social media amplification, and livestreamed "riot porn."
  2. Both left- and right-wing actors engaged in serious violence ā€” from protests that turned to arson and looting to lone-wolf attacks, mass shootings, assassination attempts, and an insurrection ā€” producing deaths, injuries, and billions in damage.
  3. Media, activists, and some political leaders sometimes excused or celebrated violence and promoted radical reforms like defunding police; those trends coincided with reduced policing, spikes in crime, and a worrying rise in public tolerance for political violence.

Activism, Uncensored: A Return to Minneapolis

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 1920 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Local and state police took a bigger role at Minneapolis protests, which reduced the number of federal agents on the front lines and led to fewer uses of tear gas and other riot munitions.
  2. Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis, is winding down and agents are withdrawing after being ramped up following a fatal shooting.
  3. A reporter who filmed ICE and Border Patrol actions was publicly criticized by ICE as "stalking," and the reporter defended continuing to film as a protected right.

Who's to Blame in Minnesota? Five Cases Involving Police Shooting at Cars

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 5984 implied HN points ā€¢ 09 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Thereā€™s little consistent data or clear rules about when police can shoot at cars, and courts still disagree a lot on these cases.
  2. High-profile incidents like the ICE shooting of Renee Good split people: some say the driver endangered officers, while others point out the person was unarmed and the shooting looked unjustified.
  3. Police training and tactics vary, and ignoring basic safety rulesā€”like not standing in front of a car or not shooting at moving vehicles unless thereā€™s a direct threat to lifeā€”can make officers as much to blame as drivers.

Bluesky Brain, X Brain: Two Viral Stories From Minnesota

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 3875 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Social platforms now form separate attention bubbles, so users on different services often see and obsess over entirely different viral stories.
  2. Community politics and platform norms shape how the same event is framed. That means identical videos can become opposing narratives and fuel different moral outrage.
  3. Technical fixes like decentralization wonā€™t automatically make people seek other views. Breaking these silos is mainly a social and behavioral problem.

34th and Portland

Desystemize ā€¢ 3231 implied HN points ā€¢ 08 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Showing up to a vigil can be more meaningful than chanting for some peopleā€”bearing witness honors the victim and helps people process the loss together.
  2. Small acts of care and local normsā€”making space, escorting cars, staying calmā€”hold a community together even amid anger and grief.
  3. Naming the victim (Renee Good) and keeping the specifics of the killing matters; it resists flattening the tragedy into slogans and points to real failures of power and justice.

Can Jews Gather Without Harassment in Todayā€™s New York?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1326 implied HN points ā€¢ 10 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Protests
  1. Jews are being harassed even inside long-standing community institutions, where protesters intimidate and confront attendees.
  2. Anti-Israel demonstrations increasingly target Jewish people personally rather than just criticizing policy, turning political protest into personal harassment.
  3. The escalation to physical assaults and aggressive tactics makes it difficult for Jewish communities to gather safely in public spaces.

ā€˜If You Look at Peopleā€™s Eyes, All of the Light Is Coming Backā€™

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 375 implied HN points ā€¢ 01 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Many Iranian Americans feel both sorrow for protesters killed and renewed hope that the supreme leader's death could open a real chance for democracy and greater freedom in Iran.
  2. Public gatherings in Washington shifted from vigils to celebrations, with people waving U.S., Israeli, and prerevolutionary Iranian flags and expressing support for Reza Pahlavi as a transitional leader.
  3. Some attendees said the strike fulfilled promises of outside help toward regime change and voiced frustration with Democrats who opposed the attacks.

Escalation Weekend: Three Days of Confrontations Between ICE and Protesters in Minnesota

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 2975 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. A large federal ICE operation in Minneapolis was expanded after an ICE agent shot and killed a protester, bringing hundreds more agents and sharply raising tensions.
  2. Protest tactics varied from a traditional march to mobile groups that trailed ICE to make noise and warn people, creating a gray area between protected protest and confrontational action.
  3. ICE agents, often face-covered, closely watched and judged protestersā€™ behavior, and those enforcement decisions helped produce multiple tense confrontations over the weekend.

Two cities under siege

The Watch ā€¢ 2038 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Federal immigration and security forces are being sent into cities in a way that mirrors colonial troop occupations, and those deployments threaten constitutional protections like the Fourth Amendment.
  2. The administration has used misleading justifications, secret memos, and public praise for agents who kill or intimidate people while blocking local investigations and hiding officers' identities, eroding accountability.
  3. Huge, determined protests across multiple cities show popular resistance and restraint, and that civic pressure will be crucial to defending rights and holding the government accountable.

Activism, Uncensored: Minneapolis in Crisis, Part 2

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 2339 implied HN points ā€¢ 19 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Confrontations between federal agents and protesters have escalated, with agents deploying crowd-control munitions and protesters converging on enforcement actions to film and obstruct them.
  2. The environment is chaotic and dangerous for residents, journalists, and protestersā€”leftover munitions, unspent rounds, and weapons have been found, and many businesses and people are afraid to go outside.
  3. The demonstrations appear largely grassroots and coordinated in real time via messaging apps rather than being paid or centrally funded, while local police mostly stay hands-off unless situations become severe.

They're Trying To Sneak Israel's President Into Australia Without Anti-Genocide Protests

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 2030 implied HN points ā€¢ 23 Jan 26
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. The Australian government is trying to quietly bring Israel's president into the country to avoid large antiā€‘genocide protests, which suggests they are prioritizing protecting the visit over allowing visible public dissent.
  2. Western governments are escalating repression by labeling proā€‘Palestine activists as terrorists and arresting supporters, a dangerous move that risks silencing dissent and curbing free speech.
  3. The Israel lobby in Australia wields real political influence to push laws that threaten proā€‘Palestine speech, and lawmakers often use emergencies to fastā€‘track authoritarian measures, so safeguards like a coolingā€‘off period are needed.

ā€˜This Was About Killing as Many People as Possibleā€™

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1465 implied HN points ā€¢ 28 Jan 26
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Security forces carried out a brutal, lethal crackdown, shooting at crowds ā€” even people who were running away ā€” and causing thousands of deaths.
  2. Mass protests swelled to around a million people, with many ordinary citizens joining for the first time, showing widespread public anger.
  3. Many protesters have fled or been displaced and now depend on internet access to work and plan a return, while communications remain cut off and safety is uncertain.

The War On Free Speech In Australia Is Getting Cartoonishly Absurd

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 1993 implied HN points ā€¢ 17 Jan 26
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Australian hate-speech laws are already being used to criminalize trivial or accidental behavior, and proposed new legislation would give authorities even more power to punish speech.
  2. A recent attack is being used as an excuse to rush through broad laws that target pro-Palestine protest and criticism of Israel, even though the connection is weak or manufactured.
  3. This pattern is an assault on civil liberties that relies on censorship and legal intimidation, and it needs to be actively resisted to protect political dissent.

The Trump Administration Is Eroding The Case For Keeping Protests Nonviolent

Singal-Minded ā€¢ 1237 implied HN points ā€¢ 27 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. The large ICE operation in Minneapolis looks politically driven and out of proportion to the local immigration issue, suggesting enforcement is being used as a tool of grievance rather than as a targeted response.
  2. After two fatal shootings by federal agents, officials quickly blamed the victims and pushed misleading narratives while blocking or undermining independent investigations, which prevents accountability.
  3. Those actions erode faith that the system can deliver justice and make it harder to honestly argue that nonviolent protest alone can secure redress, even though political and legislative checks could still restore oversight.

The Campaign to Crush Free Speech in Minnesota

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1581 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Recent protests in Minneapolis show which kinds of speech the First Amendment protects and which, like true incitement, are not protected.
  2. Federal grand jury subpoenas for the governor, mayor, and other officials show authorities are treating political criticism and public statements as potential criminal incitement tied to obstruction of immigration enforcement.
  3. The episode is a warning that when officials conflate angry but lawful political speech with criminal conduct, it risks chilling public debate and undermining commitment to free speech.

The nature of mass demonstrations

Maybe Baby ā€¢ 975 implied HN points ā€¢ 30 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Joining a general strike is a way people show solidarity with a specific cause or place and use collective action to draw attention.
  2. Skipping usual posts or links can be a deliberate choice to avoid driving traffic to ad-funded sites and to make actions match principles.
  3. Mass demonstrations often get criticized for being underprepared or unrealistic, even when participants believe the action is the right thing to do.

If Israel Gets To Undermine Our Rights, Then We Get To Undermine Israel

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 2835 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Israel is pushing Western governments and institutions to crack down on proā€‘Palestine speech and protests, influencing laws and arrests that restrict civil liberties.
  2. When a foreign state works to erode civil liberties at home, citizens are justified in fighting back by targeting that state's influence and interests in their own countries.
  3. People should openly and unapologetically work to weaken support for Israel ā€” exposing propaganda, making ties to its lobby politically costly, and campaigning to reduce its standing.

Don't discount American democracy's resilience

Silver Bulletin ā€¢ 863 implied HN points ā€¢ 02 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. The United States still has strong democratic resistance: courts, state and local governments, media, and large public protests regularly push back against authoritarian moves.
  2. Democracy vs. authoritarianism is not just a single score but a two-dimensional fight where both pro-democracy and pro-autocracy mobilization matter, and recent years have seen big pro-democracy mobilization alongside rising pro-authoritarian activity.
  3. Powerful political figures can win elections and make gains, but many voters reject authoritarian tactics and episodes of abuse can turn public opinion against them, giving institutions and elections a chance to limit or reverse damage.

Am I gonna have to protest again?

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday ā€¢ 784 implied HN points ā€¢ 30 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. The increasing use of militarized federal forces far from the communities they serve is eroding trust and driving people back to the streets; local, community-rooted policing would help reduce that harm.
  2. AI deepfakes and online misinformation are turning everyone into amateur detectives, making it harder to know whatā€™s real and intensifying information warfare.
  3. Media figures, politicians, and celebrities are leaning into grifting and spectacle for profit and influence, which weakens institutions and fuels public cynicism and protest.

If You're Not Free To Oppose A Genocide, Your Society Is Not Free

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 2514 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. True free speech includes the right to fiercely oppose a genocide; without that right, freedom of speech is essentially meaningless.
  2. Governments are using arrests and protest bansā€”often backed by shaky claimsā€”to silence proā€‘Palestinian and antiā€‘genocide voices, threatening basic civil liberties.
  3. Those crackdowns mainly protect politicians, arms manufacturers, media and billionaires, exposing how the appearance of freedom can be pulled back when it becomes inconvenient for the powerful.

How The Trump Administration Weaponized Antifa

Weaponized ā€¢ 36 implied HN points ā€¢ 16 Mar 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Federal prosecutors secured the first terrorism convictions tied to "antifa" by portraying anti-ICE protesters as an organized terrorist cell and citing black clothing, magazines, and encrypted messages as key evidence.
  2. The Trump administration and allied right-wing media ran a years-long disinformation effort that manufactured "antifa" as a boogeyman to justify criminalizing left-wing protests and harsher crackdowns.
  3. "Antifa" is a loose collection of tactics and ideologies, not a formal organization, so labeling it a terrorist group mischaracterizes protest activity and enables political prosecutions.

Israel Apologists Hasten To Use Bondi Shooting To Attack Anti-Genocide Activists

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 2514 implied HN points ā€¢ 15 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Killing civilians is clearly wrong ā€” whether it happened at Bondi Beach or in Gaza.
  2. Many supporters of Israel are using the Bondi attack to blame peaceful proā€‘Palestine protesters and push for limits on speech, instead of blaming the actual shooters or the policies that radicalize people.
  3. Opposing Israelā€™s violent actions and calling out potential genocide is not the same as endorsing terrorism, and thereā€™s a real danger that this attack will be used to further suppress protests and free expression in Australia.

They Feign Concern About Pro-Palestine Chants In Order To Shut Down Pro-Palestine Protests

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 1909 implied HN points ā€¢ 28 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. People who back the establishment often pretend theyā€™re worried about protest chants or methods as a way to shut down pro-Palestine protests.
  2. This is a common tactic: critics will attack the way people protest rather than the issues those protests raise, which keeps the status quo intact.
  3. Across countries and institutions, arrests, laws, and censorship are being framed as safety concerns but actually make it harder to criticize Israel; watch their actions, not their words.

Notes On Bondi Beach And Free Speech

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 1951 implied HN points ā€¢ 22 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Itā€™s absurd to claim pro-Palestine protests caused the Bondi Beach shooting, and that story is being pushed to justify banning protests and outlawing criticism of Israel.
  2. Supporters of Israel are deliberately conflating criticism of the state with antisemitism and spreading dishonest narratives to defend apartheid and genocidal policies.
  3. The attack is being cynically politicized to silence dissent, so people must speak up to protect free speech and keep antiā€‘genocide protests legal.

Transcript - America This Week, Jan 9, 2026: "Descent Into Chaos: The Minnesota Shooting"

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 1250 implied HN points ā€¢ 10 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. A short social-media video of the Minneapolis incident shows only fragments, so itā€™s hard to know what really happened.
  2. Political leaders and commentators immediately took sidesā€”some blaming ICE and others defending the agentsā€”which intensified polarization and heated public debate.
  3. Initial clips often mislead, so itā€™s wiser to wait for a full investigation or official findings before drawing firm conclusions.

The Roundup: Too much ICE

The Watch ā€¢ 634 implied HN points ā€¢ 03 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. The administration's immigration enforcement has become increasingly violent and lawless, using paramilitary tactics, masked agents, and reported abuse and deaths in detention and arrests. Accountability is rare as reporting and inspections are blocked and legal limits are stretched.
  2. Ordinary people and local institutions are pushing back hard ā€” nationwide protests, a surge of ICE-watcher volunteers, legal fights, and surprising local election wins show growing resistance and civic mobilization. These actions are drawing attention and slowing or challenging some federal moves.
  3. Institutional capture, secrecy, and surveillance are widening the problem, with weakened oversight, politicized prosecutions, facial-recognition tracking of protesters, and risks of manufactured evidence or election interference. Those trends make abuses harder to check and raise broader threats to democratic norms.

The Australian Israel Lobby Is Flat-Out Saying They Want A Ban On Criticism Of Israel

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 2007 implied HN points ā€¢ 19 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Protests
  1. Leaders of the Australian Israel lobby are openly calling for bans on protests and limits on speech that criticise Israel, and they want prosecutions for what they call hate speech.
  2. Those leaders claim criticism of Israel motivates antisemitic violence and are using that claim to push for tougher enforcement, more surveillance (especially of Muslim communities), and even jail for offenders.
  3. The Bondi Beach attack is being used as a pretext for the government to expand restrictions on free speech and online content, which could lead to broader authoritarian measures to police criticism of Israel.

The "Mostly Peaceful" Revolution

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 12731 implied HN points ā€¢ 11 Jun 25
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Protests
  1. Protests labeled as 'mostly peaceful' can overshadow the real violence and chaos happening during events. This phrase has caused confusion about what is truly going on during protests.
  2. Political narratives around protests can shape public perception and influence voter behavior. People often feel caught between political extremes and may become frustrated with both sides.
  3. Refusing to acknowledge the concerns of voters about issues like immigration can lead to political backlash. Politicians need to listen to the public or risk losing support.