Five years after the LB/LA protests and riots, we’re watching the same patterns creep closer to Long Beach. And let’s be real—none of those reactionary uprisings changed the big picture for the people in the streets.
The system has weaponized our hunger for justice, twisting it into another tool to keep the working class divided and disoriented. And why do they always outmaneuver us? Because while we’re scrambling, reacting, and burning out, the government is proactive. They strategize, study, and dismantle threats before they even form. We used to operate like that too—until propaganda, assassinations, and the gutting of education made us forget.
Right now, we need to shift from reactive marches to organized, sustained resistance. Protesting has been reduced to a one-day performance—people chant, wave signs, then funnel cash right back into the system buying overpriced water and fast food. Meanwhile, cops rack up overtime and use “riot stats” to justify bigger budgets. And you? You go home broke, exhausted, and back to square one.
Real protest isn’t a parade—it’s daily action. The most effective resistance happens in the routines they can’t predict or commodify. But when I say that, folks claim they’re “too busy”—work, kids, life. Here’s the truth: You’re already protesting. Every time you choose not to live in filth, you’re opposing decay. Every time you share resources instead of hoarding, you’re defying capitalism. It’s about turning those small acts into a program—a habit so ingrained it becomes second nature. That’s how we win.
Here’s how we fight without playing their game:
- Location sharing: Know where they are, know where not to be.
- Community care: Escort each other. Offer rides, couches, protection. The Underground Railroad wasn’t a formal NGO—it was people helping people.
- Boycott & reappropriate: Starve corporate giants feeding the system. Redirect money to local businesses. Capitalism’s weak spot is its wallet.
- Think before you act: Viral outrage gets folks jailed—or worse. Pause. Plan. Is that repost worth your safety? Your family’s?
As a community, we need to infiltrate the machinery: Show up at council meetings. Take over nonprofits. Reclaim our tax dollars. I know—you hate politics, you distrust charities. But the problem isn’t the tools; it’s the grifters abusing them while we look away. Follow @LBProtests x LongBeachLocalists. Learn. Apply for those funds they steal while we sleep.
Individual or collective—just stop feeding the beast. None of this is magic. Change won’t come overnight. But it will come harder and faster than they’re ready for. Let’s break the cycle. Let’s be a silent storm.
A warning: ICE is tracking protestors—organizers, attendees, even commenters. If you’re undocumented, stay off their radar. They’ll wait until you’re vulnerable. This isn’t fearmongering; it’s strategy.
If this sounds trivial or you are slow of thought, nothing written here will make sense to you, or at most may seem insignificant. If one took the time to look at a little history, you would find otherwise.
DROP YOUR OWN TACTICS BELOW. (Keep it constructive.)
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