In her essay, Rebecca Solnit emphasizes the enduring importance and complex impact of protest and activism in resisting authoritarianism, particularly in the face of Trumpism. Highlighting the wide-scale but underreported “Hands Off” protests of April 5, 2025, Solnit criticizes media dismissal of protest movements and challenges the notion that activism is ineffective without immediate results. She illustrates how sustained activism—like efforts by climate advocates for the Green New Deal or the 1999 Seattle WTO protests—can shift public discourse, reshape norms, and influence policy indirectly over time. Solnit contrasts the long-term, grassroots power-building strategies of Republicans with the often fragmented and strategy-deficient efforts of Democrats. She also critiques the mainstream media’s tendency to strip protest of context and overlook its nuanced contributions to change. Ultimately, Solnit argues that change is complex, nonlinear, and often born from persistent efforts in society’s margins, not delivered top-down by “great men.” She urges a broader, more patient perspective toward activism, recognizing its indirect and cumulative effects in shaping culture and politics.