US Socialist Groups Staged a Showy, Disorganized Protest Against ICE, Falling Short of Expected Impact
Dozens of far-left groups, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, converged on Washington D.C. on Friday to stage a coordinated protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The "National Shutdown" rally aimed to bring economic activity to a grinding halt nationwide by urging people not to work, attend school, or shop.
However, despite the group's apparent enthusiasm for their cause, the protesters largely failed to make an impact. Organizers handed out hundreds of prepared signs, which were quickly distributed among the attendees, many of whom appeared more interested in socializing and taking selfies than participating in the protest itself.
The event was promoted as part of a nationwide effort to highlight what organizers claimed was ICE's "terrorist" activities, but the overall effect was far from intimidating. Instead, it seemed that the protesters were largely focused on promoting their own brand of Marxist ideology and creating a spectacle rather than genuinely mobilizing against ICE.
Several of the groups behind the protests are linked to nonprofits funded by tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who has publicly espoused Marxist ideology. Some of these organizations have been accused of promoting pro-China Communist Party messaging, further fueling speculation about the true motivations behind the protest.
Far-left groups and left-leaning civic organizations, including unions with ties to Democratic politics, signed on to the event in an apparent attempt to blend their message with broader social justice movements. However, the overall tone of the rally seemed to be more focused on promoting a radical ideology than sparking meaningful public discourse about immigration policy.
As the protest wound down and attendees began filtering away, some protesters were seen joking with one another and asking when they could go out for drinks. The event ultimately felt more like a showy display of solidarity rather than a genuinely impactful demonstration against ICE's operations.
Dozens of far-left groups, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, converged on Washington D.C. on Friday to stage a coordinated protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The "National Shutdown" rally aimed to bring economic activity to a grinding halt nationwide by urging people not to work, attend school, or shop.
However, despite the group's apparent enthusiasm for their cause, the protesters largely failed to make an impact. Organizers handed out hundreds of prepared signs, which were quickly distributed among the attendees, many of whom appeared more interested in socializing and taking selfies than participating in the protest itself.
The event was promoted as part of a nationwide effort to highlight what organizers claimed was ICE's "terrorist" activities, but the overall effect was far from intimidating. Instead, it seemed that the protesters were largely focused on promoting their own brand of Marxist ideology and creating a spectacle rather than genuinely mobilizing against ICE.
Several of the groups behind the protests are linked to nonprofits funded by tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who has publicly espoused Marxist ideology. Some of these organizations have been accused of promoting pro-China Communist Party messaging, further fueling speculation about the true motivations behind the protest.
Far-left groups and left-leaning civic organizations, including unions with ties to Democratic politics, signed on to the event in an apparent attempt to blend their message with broader social justice movements. However, the overall tone of the rally seemed to be more focused on promoting a radical ideology than sparking meaningful public discourse about immigration policy.
As the protest wound down and attendees began filtering away, some protesters were seen joking with one another and asking when they could go out for drinks. The event ultimately felt more like a showy display of solidarity rather than a genuinely impactful demonstration against ICE's operations.
I mean, it's cool that people are passionate about the cause, but this whole "National Shutdown" thing just seemed so disorganized 
. Like, if they really wanted to make an impact, they should've done some actual research on how ICE affects everyday Americans rather than just spouting Marxist rhetoric 
. And btw, all those signs that said the same thing over and over again? Get a new design team or something 
. It felt like they were more worried about taking selfies with their friends than actually protesting 
. I guess you can't blame 'em for wanting to have fun, but if you're gonna stage a protest, make sure it's not just a social media moment 
.
I feel kinda let down by this protest 
. All that energy and effort put into making a big statement, but it just ended up being about promoting their own ideology and taking selfies 
. The whole thing felt like a big show, but not really accomplishing anything 
.
it was like they were just tryin to get some Instagram followers with all those signs and selfies lol but seriously though where's the substance? they're more worried about promotin their own ideology than actually makin a change in the system 
i don't think anyone's gonna be intimidated by a bunch of people holdin up "ICE is bad" signs like that 
. And what's with all the ties to Neville Roy Singham and these far-left groups? Can't we just talk about immigration policy without getting caught up in all that ideology drama? 
the whole thing was super messy 
rather than actually trying to make a difference 
. And can we talk about how confusing it is when all these groups are trying to come together under one umbrella but they're all really just promoting their own agendas 
. I wish the protest had been more focused on actual solutions rather than just shouting slogans 