The “No Kings” movement is making a return to Pittsburgh on March 28. Hundreds of people are likely to descend onto the City-County building at noon and in Shadyside at 5 p.m.
With these demonstrations, which were announced months in advance, taking place, an Instagram account not affiliated with Point Park has sprung up to get a group of students together at the rally.
As a note of policy, The Globe has not and never will endorse any specific movement, political candidate or group, but we will say exercising the Constitutional right to protest is something every person in the U.S. should be thankful to do and to always hold this right dear to you.
Further, we think it is a point of interest to get a group of students together who all agree with the “No Kings” movement as a collective. Strength in numbers is important, and it can also spur valuable discussion per each member as to why they support the movement.
However, The Globe questions notions by this account implying the demonstration will get violent and that there is a “real chance of violence.”
Now, we recognize each town, city and state is not the same, but The Globe has covered every demonstration connected to this movement, including when “No Kings” was still just referred to as “50501.” Not once was there a threat of violence at any of the events — only one even had a counter-protester, whose words weren’t even legible because they were drowned out as soon as they turned on their megaphone.
Is it reasonable to be worried about events and what can happen to protesters at the federal level? Yes. But we have to remember that generally, such concerns never materialize into true threats in Pittsburgh, and a “No Kings” demonstration is a lot different than something like the G20 protests in 2009.
Another claim by this account is that Pittsburgh police will “indiscriminately tear gas and pepper spray protesters, no matter how peaceful.” We do not question this reality in other cities and how it’s not impossible for this to happen here, but the chances of this happening at a “No Kings” demonstration is so small it’s probably in scientific notation.
Is the advice given by this account bad? Not necessarily. But instructing people to leave their phones at home and to basically expect violence sounds like fearmongering. This is not a smart policy — anyone going to a demonstration should do everything they can to protect themselves and the people around them, but going to a rally in total fear seems to be antithetical to the “No Kings” movement.
Instead, those going should not only be loud about their beliefs and attend without fears of violence, but should do more too. Don’t be like people who use these demonstrations as a contest of who can make the quirkiest sign; show up at city council meetings, join oversight boards, take a stand beyond just going to a demonstration and doing nothing else.
Your activism shouldn’t end at a permitted demonstration. College students have led movements for decades, so who’s to say you aren’t capable of doing the same thing?
All we ask is to be safe doing it. We hope this editorial is not proven wrong on Saturday, though we don’t expect it to be.