One theory says that when 3.5% of a population nonviolently protest against a government, the government will fall… Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results but Americans are only 5 million to the 12 million threshold given by this theory.

It also makes the presidency look weak, which is important because the alt-right’s flood the zone strategy to divide and conquer people’s attention makes the government look hopeless to oppose, which lends them more power and legitimacy than what the billionaires and Supreme Court has given them.

At my local one (not in the USA) a prominent third party leader was there, and along with dancing and singing, various speakers’ messages were telling us to get involved with challenging laws we don’t like, aiming to pass laws that we do want, and look for potential open positions in government to run a campaign for. Generally it was encouraging people to get involved politically.

Also remember that the last election had a delta of 2.3 million votes. Yes, the American election system is absolutely messed up but it’s important to note that 7 million people coming together to these events protesting is in itself significant. It is changing people’s minds. It is encouraging more people to join mutual aid efforts like those food-cart buyout cyclists. Even if 98% of people just go out, wave and dance a bit, then go home, that still would be 140,000 people across the country actively looking to do more to make a difference in their region, and honestly it is likely more than 2% considering all these people with signs and costumes.