Protest is Power: How Dissent Has Shaped Democracy and Still Saves It
From the American Revolution to modern mass movements, protest has always been the force that defends democracy and renews it.
From the Boston Tea Party to the digital town squares of today, protest has always been democracy’s pressure valve—a way for people to be heard when the government stops listening. Across centuries and continents, it has brought down empires, ended apartheid, and rewritten constitutions. This isn’t the work of a radical few. It’s the lifeblood of every movement that dared to imagine a better world and then fought to make it real. We owe so much to the people who refused to stay quiet.
The United States was forged in rebellion. British taxes may have lit the fuse, but it was the organizing, the pamphlets, and the boycotts that carried the flame. The Stamp Act Riots and the Boston Tea Party were strategic, escalating acts of defiance that united the colonies and laid the groundwork for revolution. Protest didn’t just kickstart America—it’s in our DNA.
And that story is still being written. Look at the Women’s March in 2017, the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Think of the protests after George Floyd’s murder, which shook the nation’s conscience and fundamentally changed the political conversation. Every time people march for science, the climate, gun reform, or immigrant rights, they’re pushing back against policies that feel unjust or dangerous. These aren’t just parades of angry people. They are fundamental recalibrations of power, sending a clear message to those in charge: you work for us.
When authoritarianism looms, protest shatters the illusion that nothing can change. It shows people they aren’t alone, breaking through the official story of control by putting resistance out in the open for everyone to see. It gives courage to silenced communities and forces us all to confront uncomfortable truths. And it’s not just symbolic. Researchers like Erica Chenoweth have found that nonviolent movements are twice as likely to succeed as violent ones—and that it can take as little as 3.5% of the population to spark real, lasting change. The simple fact is, protest works.
Protest isn’t just one thing; it’s a whole toolbox of strategies. Marches create a sea of visible support and build collective energy. Sit-ins grind business to a halt to make a moral point. Boycotts hit institutions where it hurts: their wallets. Strikes show the power of labor by making demands impossible to ignore. Online, activism can amplify a single voice into a global chorus. Art—poetry, murals, performance—can change the culture itself. And sometimes, civil disobedience means breaking an unjust law to expose just how wrong it is. The real power comes from knowing which tool to use, and when.
If you’re ready to do more than just show up, there are incredible resources out there to help you lead. Guides like the Teach-In Network Protest Toolbox, the Activist Handbook, and the CIVICUS Protest Resilience Toolkit offer practical advice on how to organize effectively and safely. These aren’t just for seasoned activists—they’re for anyone who wants to turn their frustration into real momentum.
We don’t need anyone’s permission to demand a better world. The power of protest isn’t just in the streets. It’s in every phone call to a representative, every difficult conversation, every time you choose to speak up when it would be easier to stay silent. If democracy is going to survive, it will be saved by ordinary people who dare to act.
So, learn. Organize. March. Boycott. Write. Disrupt. Create.
Above all, don’t ever let anyone tell you that your voice doesn’t matter.
It always has. And it still does…