This is what fascism looks like.
As someone arrested at a campus protest last spring, I have major qualms with how the Biden administration handled campus dissent. But it was nothing compared to what we are in for now.
Our reaction to this statement will help decide if Trump's regeime is able to consolidate power to form the strong-man dictatorship he envisions. Our reaction should be to protest in force across every campus while wearing MASKS.
#politics @academicchatter #HigherEd
reshared this
No Gods , no Masters! RESIST
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
MugsysRapSheet 🔩🐑🐘
in reply to No Gods , no Masters! RESIST • • •If only Right Wing #fascists were as hyper-protective of the FIRST Amendment as they are the Second. 😞
Dan Neuman 🇨🇦
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Dan Neuman 🇨🇦 • • •True. But they are only legal until defined otherwise. That's the challenge of relying on legality, especially as governments move toward authoritarianism.
WesDym
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •@dan613 @electricarchaeo Sort of true, sort of not.
Under US law, non-violent, non-disruptive protests are legal. If you do something in the process that infringes on the rights or safety of others, that's illegal, but protest itself is protected.
Problem is, local authorities may be capricious about what's 'disruptive' or 'unsafe', and we all know many examples of those official excesses. Opponents may also plant people to cause problems.
Be careful!
Rythur
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Its starting to look like slowing one's death has become illegal.
This is to say: Our rights are now confined to how quickly we die.
Thanks, America.
Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Rythur • • •@rythur
Well said.
Rythur
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Thanks, buddy from another campus!
PS -- I'm at CU Boulder.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Rythur • • •@rythur
Oh nice! And the support is much appreciated.
I can't make it, but some faculty I know are headed your way in a few weeks. Feel free to pass this info on if it hasn't already corculated through your spheres of inflence!
Steve Hersey
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •It's time for lots of mass protests nationwide. Flood the zone with demonstrations to the point where even the dumbest major media organizations can't ignore them any longer.
Administrators should issue explicit permits for the protests and. (If the school authorized it it isn't illegal, right?) Keep it peaceful, folks, but fill the streets and quads.
Off-campus protests should be held as well, especially where administrators won't permit on-campus gatherings.
Maybe we need a quantity purchase of Guy Fawkes masks...
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Steve Hersey • • •I support a universal Guy Fawkes mask policy (and everything else you said, but especially that part)!
Malte
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Honestly, the sudden 'NO MASKS!'- outburst made me laugh. I don't live in the US, though, so that's maybe easier for me to do.
I send you love and power!
Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Malte • • •@Schepphimself
I'm happy it made you laugh. I feel finding every glimmer of happiness is valuable, and gallows humor is becoming more valuable by the second.
I appreciate the love and support from afar too ❤
Mastokarl 🇺🇦
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
🟥 Eveline Sulman 🇳🇱🇪🇺🇺🇦
in reply to Mastokarl 🇺🇦 • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to 🟥 Eveline Sulman 🇳🇱🇪🇺🇺🇦 • • •@EvelineSulman @Mastokarl @echopapa
The US may not be Russia, but it's starting up look an awful lot like it. Putin has invested well to help make that happen.
Boud
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •@EvelineSulman @Mastokarl
All that's needed is a minor rewrite of the Constitution (of the Russian Federation) for the US Oblast to be formally recognised as part of the Federation. And then #ComradeKrasnov will be Governor Krasnov.
@echopapa
Petra van Cronenburg
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •I could imagine that in France, masses would be out in the streets, all masked. In Germany, grandmas would crochet or knit masks for every Republican governor and the whole government.
Imagine Trump flooded with pink Pussy Masks!
#resist #creativity #activism #fightTrump #antifascism #protest
Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Petra van Cronenburg • • •@NatureMC
I love that picture. Let's make it happen!
(Your move Grandmas!)
Petra van Cronenburg
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Petra van Cronenburg • • •@NatureMC
Love it! I hope there is great demand for that in the near future :)
Poloniousmonk
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •I honestly think Biden bowed to Israel on that one to give this generation's kids some experience at protesting and organizing.
And getting arrested.
Not all white boomers who marched with MLK turned around and voted for Reagan fifteen years later. Some had memories. Some still do.
I can think of one notable exception there :)
You might like this guy:
keithlowelljensen.com/what-i-w…
What I was Arrested For - Keith Lowell Jensen
Keith Lowell JensenKyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Poloniousmonk • • •@Uair
That's an interesting hypothesis! I'm not sure I buy it on have value, but it's definitely something I'll think on more.
Also, I appreciate the recommendation and I'll check him out.
Sine-Nomine🇵🇸Free Palestine🇵🇸
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Flauschfläche
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
SaanichGuy 🇨🇦🇨🇦
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •#trump will be pushing for civil unrest. Very important it doesn’t get violent.
#trump wants to call for martial law because that is part of the playbook for removing all freedom, calling in the military and becoming king
Kyle Montanio
in reply to SaanichGuy 🇨🇦🇨🇦 • • •@SaanichGuy
I've already personally confronted an agitator trying to stoke violence at a priest this year. Not only does Trump want violence, his supporters are actively working to make it violent.
It is our job to deescalate. Be pressure to tone down the retoric even, or especially, when you are in the right. Be prepared to take a shove without pushing back.
RootWyrm 🇺🇦
in reply to SaanichGuy 🇨🇦🇨🇦 • • •@SaanichGuy people need to understand, here and now, that there is absolutely fucking nothing that is going to stop them from doing that. Period.
Complying in advance is not going to do jack shit. They will eagerly find some other excuse. Baby-factory fentanyl mules. Soros-funded terror networks. "Woke."
Demanding non-violence just tells them you're a soft target for the brownshirts.
Carolyn
in reply to RootWyrm 🇺🇦 • • •@rootwyrm @SaanichGuy Whelp, hopefully Canada and other countries can make room for American students...
Part of university life is to become more aware of the world and to protest injustice.
Protests are the fabric of the US, it's how the US became the US.
autumn
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Masks everywhere. It will be a lot easier to argue that masks aren't just for "committing crimes" (exercising the right to protest) if people are also wearing them to grocery stores, the pharmacy, doctors offices, work or school, town halls, etc.
#MaskUp
Kyle Montanio
in reply to autumn • • •@summerfallwinter
Not to mention the protecting others part. But yes, fully right.
Paul McKone
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •@summerfallwinter
As the poster says:
Why Are People Wearing Masks in 2025?
OP: aus.social/@DenisCOVIDinfoguy/…
Denis - The COVID info guy - (@DenisCOVIDinfoguy@aus.social)
Aus.Socialautumn
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to autumn • • •@summerfallwinter
An uncontactable truth :/
Court Cantrell will not comply
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Court Cantrell will not comply • • •That's a wonderful recommendation and I'll check it out imminently!
(Here "imminently" is defined as ~10 weeks as that is the estimated hold time at my library for it.)
Court Cantrell will not comply
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •The Queen of Weltschmerz🏳️⚧️
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
Unknown parent • • •@GhostOnTheHalfShell
That's just ugly. The more I learn about that guy the less I like him, which seems like it should be getting hard to do at this point, and yet...
Henning Deters
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Henning Deters • • •@DetersHenning
If you're confused by that sentence, just wait until you hear the utter gibberish Trump spews on a daily basis ;)
(By that I mean I totally agree with you that this is nonsensical.)
8Petros [$ rm -rv /capitalism/*]
in reply to Henning Deters • •like this
Henning Deters, Kyle Montanio i aprilfollies like this.
reverras reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
Unknown parent • • •@GhostOnTheHalfShell
That can't be true. I've been told my whole life the US is a country of FREEDOM!!!
You must be one of them outside agitators trying to stir the pot in this country... -.-
Suedioh77
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Suedioh77 • • •@suedorazio
But he can ignore it on a whim.
I was arrested at a peaceful protest under Biden. What's written as law has very little bearing on what actually happens.
B_Bird
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •I wonder what the Guinness World record is for the number of ’ultra light mask’ - ‘Walter White mask’ is ??
#MaskUp
Kyle Montanio
in reply to B_Bird • • •@B_Bird
If this catches on, Brian Cranston is going to get super-arrested...
B_Bird
in reply to B_Bird • • •#ElectronicFrontierFoundation #EFF
- Surveillance Self-Defense : ssd.eff.org
#Signal #SignalApp - support.signal.org
#Tails (portable operating system) - tails.net
#SecureDrop - securedrop.org/overview/
#Tor #TorBrowser - torproject.org
#Proton - proton.me
#Tuta: tuta.com
#PrivacyGuides - privacyguides.org
Activist Digital Security Checklist - activistchecklist.org
The Tor Project | Privacy & Freedom Online
www.torproject.orgNahmia
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •FirefighterGeek
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
eladnarra
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •If people only wear masks at protests, they inadvertently bolster the right's argument for mask bans.
People should wear masks everywhere, so those of us who are high risk and have been forced out of society can navigate essential doctor appointments and shopping more safely. This normalizes masks and helps push back against attempts to ban them (and basically reinstate ugly laws against disabled people).
Kyle Montanio reshared this.
obscurestar
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Noortje Van Leeuwen
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Adam
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •It seems this has been around in some form for at least a month, but in the beginning Trump only persecuted bipartisan-approved targets, with little push back.
At the time, immigration attorney Eric Lee warned "Those who fail to stand up today because they disagree with the content of student protestors' speech are only making it easier for Trump to silence them tomorrow."
middleeasteye.net/news/trump-l…
Trump lays out blueprint to deport pro-Palestinian foreign nationals
Umar A Farooq (Middle East Eye)Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Andy Wootton
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
dibi58
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Nazani
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Dreugan
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Trina Corey
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
Milan Zimmermann
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Milan Zimmermann • • •@milan_zimmermann
I don't have Truth Social, and wouldn't willingly link there if I did.
Milan Zimmermann
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Milan Zimmermann • • •@milan_zimmermann
The ACLU responded to this post, so I doubt it is fake. If it is, it's a very convincing one..
aclu.org/press-releases/after-…
After Trump Admin Threats, ACLU Sends Letter of Support to Universities, Urging Them to Protect Campus Speech
American Civil Liberties UnionCondalmo.
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Condalmo. • • •@condalmo
Fair.
Kyle Montanio
Unknown parent • • •@back2square1
I appreciate the support ❤
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Edit: organizers cancelled the event in fear of low turnout on short notice. Pivoting to other action.
UC Denver, along with our sister schools on the shared Auaria campus, are having a MASKerade on Monday to protest Trump's attack on our constitutional rights.
This is the time to stand up, all across the nation. We can still prevent the worst of what #Project2025 has promised us.
I hope other schools voice their concerns alongside us, and that folks in the Denver area join us Monday 3/10.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Hey, @SnowshadowII!
Pinging you in this action my school is putting together as we fight fascism together.
❤
Snowshadow 🇨🇦
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •boosted...hopefully that will help get the message out.
CC @markwyner would you ⬆️ mind helping boost this, please?
@SnowshadowII
Mark Wyner Won’t Comply
in reply to Snowshadow 🇨🇦 • • •@Snowshadow
Of course. Just did. ✊🏻
@FantasticalEconomics @SnowshadowII
Snowshadow 🇨🇦
in reply to Mark Wyner Won’t Comply • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Snowshadow 🇨🇦 • • •@Snowshadow @markwyner @SnowshadowII
I appreciate you both. Thanks so much ❤
Snowshadow 🇨🇦
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •N95Bias Ⓥ🏴☠️
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Edit: thanks for all the great ideas! Unfortunately the students organizing this feared low turnout on short notice and are cancelling the event.
Anyone up for helping crowdsource chants for our anti-fascist MASKerade? Here's some things we've been toying with so far:
"You gotta fight! For your right! To prooo-test!"
"MAGA is the mind virus, that's why they're scared of masks."
... Yeah that's all we've got so far. We need help.
#MASKeradeMonday #politics
MemphisDaPlaya 🎲🎲
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio reshared this.
The Impulsive Vulcan🖖
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •I hate to say this. I'd never say this under ordinary circumstances. urgh.
That being said, this might be a perfect job for generative AI. You should specify which meter the chant should be in, if it should rhyme, etc. Feel free to feed it the two chants you already have.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to The Impulsive Vulcan🖖 • • •@scallopede
Honestly, I've been considering using AI to create flyers for this. I do my best to avoid AI in almost every situation, fighting fascism may be a good exception to that rule though...
The Impulsive Vulcan🖖
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Lucas C. Wheeler
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Perhaps you can paraphrase V for Vendetta somehow?
“Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof.”
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Lucas C. Wheeler • • •@lcwheeler
That's a good idea to think on.
My initial thoughts is it may be a better fit for a sign than a chant as it may be hard to pair down. But signage is needed too!
Lucas C. Wheeler
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Lucas C. Wheeler
in reply to Lucas C. Wheeler • • •Woke up thinking of some other options. Assuming you wanted chants that specifically reference masks... Clearly I am not a great lyricist. lol
"Masks make them come undone; freedom is for everyone"
"They can't take way our speech; put on your masks and hit the streets"
"Fascists are afraid of youth; with our masks we shield the truth"
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Lucas C. Wheeler • • •@lcwheeler
Love it!!
The second one particularly stands out to me, but I'm sharing all three with the students leading the charge on this.
Many thanks ❤
Sir Rochard 'Dock' Bunson
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •I love the protest! I'll think about the chants & hopefully others will have ideas.
I've always loved something along these lines. 😅
youtu.be/KRFTi-driRc
- YouTube
youtu.beKyle Montanio reshared this.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Sir Rochard 'Dock' Bunson • • •@SrRochardBunson
Much appreciated!
And yeah, that one is quite catchy. I'm probably going to have that stuck in my head as I fall asleep tonight, which I'm very not upset about haha.
Wm.son
in reply to Sir Rochard 'Dock' Bunson • • •@SrRochardBunson
There is a shocking lack of protest songs these days.
The last I knew, Neil Young had an album for Bush2.
I was raised in the 1960's and protest songs were where it was at.
Carolyn
in reply to Wm.son • • •@Sfwmson @SrRochardBunson Are they not there or have you just not heard them? @FantasticalEconomics faroutmagazine.co.uk/five-best…
greenleft.org.au/content/looki…
greenleft.org.au/content/looki…
The return of protest music in 2024: five of the best songs so far
Lucy Harbron (Far Out Magazine)Sir Rochard 'Dock' Bunson
in reply to Wm.son • • •@Sfwmson
In popular culture yes, but a contender has entered the stage. Check out Jesse Welles!
universeodon.com/@SrRochardBun…
Sir Rochard 'Dock' Bunson (@SrRochardBunson@universeodon.com)
Universeodon Social MediaJ. David Eisenberg
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to J. David Eisenberg • • •@jdeisenberg
It's got a nice sound to it :)
J. David Eisenberg
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •It’s inspired by a chant I heard in Austria: „Schießt den Kickl auf dem Mond, das ist Raumfahrt, die sich lohnt!“ -- “Shoot Kickl (far-right politician) to the moon; that’s a space trip that’s worth it.”
Not sure how you could get the same idea with a rhyme in English.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to J. David Eisenberg • • •@jdeisenberg
Something we can play around with for sure :)
noordinaryspider
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •"I pay your taxes but you won't mask when people asks us!"
It came out of my mind as "granny", but that is ageist and inaccurate.
Ally with bumbling good intentions here; need to stfu and figure out this eat/sleep/mental health selfcare shit, lol.
Ika Makimaki
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Lead - reply simple chants would work well for this.
Ex:
Lead: When a virus spreads
Reply: MASK UP
Lead: Because we care
Reply: MASK UP
L: The state surveils
R: MASK UP
L: Protect healthcare
R: MASK UP
L: Stand together
R: MASK UP
L: Bash the Fash
R: MASK UP
L: For each other
R: MASK UP
and so on 😷
Caden McHuman
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •“MAGA wants to take our rights. We won’t go down without a fight!”
“The first amendment let’s us gather, lets us speak. Trump’s illegal all damn week. Exercise your right to protest. Resist or face the consequences.”
“Donald Trump can shove his threats. We won’t be silent under duress”
“Doom and gloom, pain and fear. Donald Trump wants all that here. Don’t give up, don’t give in, his executive power is a sin!” (1/3)
Caden McHuman
in reply to Caden McHuman • • •“We won’t shut up, we won’t sit down. Protest makes the world go round. Take away our number one right, doesn’t matter left or right. Stick together keep it tight. Donald Trump resigns tonight!
“Community, freedom, peace and solidarity. Keep the dream alive before it’s just a scarcity. Regime, authority, death and conformity. Don’t give in to Trump, or this is where we’re gonna be!” (2/3)
Caden McHuman
in reply to Caden McHuman • • •“We come from many places but our hearts beat as one. We all live in peace and Trump is utter scum. With these things in mind, remember this rhyme. Trump wants to divide us, let it multiply us. Protest is legal, Trump’s orders not. If they want a fight, we’re gonna boycott. We’re going to shout, we’re going to resist. Put your hand in the air, and make it a fist!”
Not AI generated. AI can suck it! (3/3)
Kyle Montanio
in reply to Caden McHuman • • •@blashphe_me
Much appreciated!
trillytrill
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Roy Brander🇨🇦
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •It's sort of unbelievable, how appropriate and funny a protest would be in the States just now, that involved everybody buying a dozen eggs and just covering some Congressman's office.
Can't imagine why you'd pick on a campus, frankly; talk about Nth-priority targets compared to a congressman.
Don't forget the posters to just plant on the eggy coating on the office facade.
Jimmy Havok
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Jimmy Havok • • •@jhavok
I know. I am very disappointed by the change and hope we get the message out to everyone who was planning on showing up.
I will, at least be out to talk to folks looking like they are searching for a protest and can't find it :/
Mark Wyner Won’t Comply
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to Mark Wyner Won’t Comply • • •@markwyner
I agree. I'm very bummed about it, but still appreciate they tried to make it happen. The thought was there, the organization was not :/
Kyle Montanio
Unknown parent • • •@meganL
I'm embarrassed I forgot to add alt text to this. Thank you for taking the time to write it out for me and for reminding me to add it. ❤
Megan Lynch (she/her)
Unknown parent • • •Image description: Flier features a black & white photo of Donald Trump with his mouth wide open. Also a photo of a person wearing a domino mask that covers their eyebrows and area around their eyes.
The "wear a mask" seems to refer to domino masks rather than N95 masks for COVID and other respiratory diseases in circulation right now."
Megan Lynch (she/her)
Unknown parent • • •American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.'
-Donald Trump, 3/5/25
AGITATE!
Masked demonstration for student power
Monday, March 10, 12:00 PM
Tivoli Commons Stage, Auraria Mask decorating 11:00 AM
Wear a mask"
Kyle Montanio
Unknown parent • • •@ixtility
Would rearranging it be weird?
"Oligarchy tax, not medicade axe"
As I write it out, I think it's forcing the rhyme too much and I like your original chant better.
WesDym
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Let me see if I understand this. Were you personally arrested directly by "the Biden administration", or under colour of federal law? That seems unlikely.
The administration is free to express their opinion and suggest doctrine, but rarely has legal power to directly enforce either. It's typically individual schools, under state and local law.
In the same way, the White House can bloviate all they want, but claiming authority does not grant it.
Kyle Montanio
in reply to WesDym • • •@wesdym
I never claimed to be arrested by the Biden administration. And I very much can take issue with how they handled the situation with what they chose to freely express.
WesDym
in reply to Kyle Montanio • • •Kyle Montanio
in reply to WesDym • • •@wesdym
Describing the protests as "chaos" and amplifying the misleading, largely false idea they were antisemitic in nature was highly problematic.
The Biden administration ratcheted up tension - likely because the protests condemned his ongoing policy - when he could have taken a stand that it was protected free speech.
I have problems with that.
npr.org/2024/05/02/1248778640/…