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Protests, writes political scientist Jeremy Pressman, “can advance the goals of the protest movement” by leading to “significant press coverage and plenty of social media posting. The protests may heighten protesters’ emotional connection to the movement and increase fundraising and membership numbers of sponsoring organizations.”
That certainly was the aim of the millions of people marching and rallying across the U.S. this past Saturday in pro-democracy, anti-Trump protests under the banner “No Kings.”
But Pressman, who teaches at the University of Connecticut, says protests can perform another, diametrically opposed function: “Protests can serve as a justification for a nascent autocrat to further undermine democratic practices and institutions.” A strongman leader and their supporters “often want to quash dissent.” The Los Angeles protests against Trump’s immigrant roundups and deportations provided just that opportunity, he writes.
This all goes to show, says Pressman, that while “protests are an expression of democracy, bolstered by the right to free speech and ‘the right of the people peaceably to assemble,’” to leaders, “clamping down on protests is one way to rebut challenges to government policies and power.”
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Naomi Schalit
Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy
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Protesters parade through the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans as part of the nationwide No Kings protest against President Donald Trump, on June 14, 2025.
Patt Little/Anadolu via Getty Images
Jeremy Pressman, University of Connecticut
Protests can serve two opposing purposes. They can represent a mass movement in favor of democracy – and simultaneously serve a nascent dictator in their efforts to undermine democracy.
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Health + Medicine
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Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, University of Pittsburgh
Even one night of inadequate sleep can shift your hunger into overdrive, setting off a chain reaction in the brain. But one or two nights of solid sleep can help reset metabolism.
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Politics + Society
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H. Colleen Sinclair, Louisiana State University
The Trump administration canceled hundreds of grants it said amounted to federal censorship, implying that those conducting misinformation research are enemies of the First Amendment. This isn’t true.
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Charlie Hunt, Boise State University
A combination of factors, including Democrats and Republicans feeling more and more animosity for the other side, led to the roughing up of Sen. Alex Padilla at a press conference.
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Arts + Culture
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Elizabeth Wolfson, Washington University in St. Louis
‘Queer’ is a word often used to describe Edward Gorey’s mysterious, spooky art. So why is it so hard to acknowledge the artist behind them was queer as well?
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International
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Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania
Strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran may increase Tehran’s belief that attaining nuclear weapons is key to establishing a deterrence to regime change.
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Ian Parmeter, Australian National University
There are few clear paths to an immediate end to the fighting between Israel and Iran. And what comes after the war could be even more concerning.
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Ethics + Religion
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Jonathan Krasner, Brandeis University
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war, some Jewish students have been vocal about support for Israel or for Palestinians. But many more have views that don’t fit into ‘either/or’ categories.
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Science + Technology
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Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School; Nathan Sanders, Harvard University
AI’s advantage over humans comes down to 4 dimensions: speed, scale, scope and sophistication. Whether AI can replace you depends on how much one or more of the S’s matter in what you do.
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Francesca Storici, Georgia Institute of Technology
Researchers discovered a previously unknown function of RNA, potentially opening the door to new ways to treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
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David Joffe, Kennesaw State University
Mars isn’t a bright, fire-engine red, but the iron oxide in its rocks makes it appear redder than other planets, especially from afar.
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