On March 28th, we rise up, take to the streets, and say it loud: no thrones, no crowns, no kings.

Some people think protests ‘don’t work’. We know community is an antidote to despair. We all need to know we are not alone. And our events help our community plug in with local organizations to get more involved.

For No Kings, 50501 South Carolina, Better Ballot SC, Carolina For All, Indivisible District 2, ACLU of South Carolina, and other local organizations are coming together to host a day of action at the State House.

And we need your help to make it happen!

Event Information

Saturday March 28, 2026
SC State House, 1100 Gervais Street
10:30am-3pm

Event Timeline

• 10:30am: Sign-waving and chants start across the State House grounds

• 11am-3pm: Candidates from across the state speak on the South Steps

  • South Grounds Speaking Schedule

    11:00pm - 12:00pm

    Opening & CD-1, CD-2, & CD-4

    Opening - Nicole Sanchez

    Annie Andrews (Senate - Statewide)

    Brandon Brown (Senate - Statewide)

    Catherine Flemming Bruce (Senate - Statewide)

    Sylvia Wright (Superintendent - Statewide)

    (CD-1) Bill Reeside

    (CD-1) Matt Fulmer

    (CD-1) KJ Atwood (HD110)

    (CD-1) Ashley Painter (HD117)

    (CD-2) Steven Asbill (HD85)

    (CD-2) Reid Beaman (HD87)

    (CD-4) Seth Sauer-Hart (HD37)

    12:00pm - 1:20pm

    Statewide, CD-5, & CD-6

    DeShaun Blanding (Comm. of Ag - Statewide)

    Edwina Winter (Secretary of State - Statewide)

    Michael Addison (Governor - Statewide)

    Walid Hakim (Governor - Statewide)

    Kyle Freeman (Senate - Statewide)

    (CD-1) Max Diaz

    (CD-5) Mallory Dittmer

    (CD-5) Omar LaJuan McCrorey (HD46)

    (CD-6) Allison Terracio (Richland County Council 5)

    (CD-6) Dr. James Thompson (Richland County Council 11)

    BREAK

    1:20pm - 2:20pm

    CD-2, CD-3, & CD-6

    (CD-2) David Robinson

    (CD-2) Zyon Khalifa

    (CD-2) Roger Pruitt

    (CD-2) Julie Zimmerman (HD71)

    (CD-2) Joe Madge (HD89)

    (CD-3) Jessica Beasley (HD11)

    (CD-6) Malcolm Taylor (HD52)

    (CD-6) Eve Carlin (HD70)

    (CD-1) Collin Holloway (HD94)

    Closing Remarks - Nicole Sanchez

• 12pm-3pm: Rally and Activism Fair on the North Side with speakers covering Democracy, Resistance, and Community and more than 20 local organizations

  • North Grounds Speaking Schedule

    12:00pm - 12:50pm

    Defending Democracy

    Welcome - Sam Gibbons

    Invocation - Rev. Dr. Neal Jones

    Dr. Jermaine Johnson, SC52 Representative
    Vets, NO War - Frank Stolba

    Lawrence Moore, Carolina For All

    Jace Woodrum, ACLU SC

    West Russell, Young Dems Central Midlands

    SAVE ACT - Lynn Teague, League of Women Voters

    Youth & Voting - Zuriel Nyamutsaka, Charleston Democratic Party

    Nicole Sanchez, Better Ballot SC

    Chris Kenny, ComeBackSC

    Sam Gibbons, 50501SC

    1:00pm - 1:35pm

    Building the Resistance

    SingingResistanceColumbiaSC

    Introduction - Anson Foster

    Sandra Davis, Indivisble SC District 2

    Vets, No War - Wade Fulmer

    Neel Sawicky, SC Labor Party

    Kyle Robles, RCA

    Dr. R. Green II, Modjeska Simkins School

    Danielle Gray & Sandra Rivas, Midlands Defensa

    1:45pm - 2:30pm

    Community Resilience

    Introduction - Lawrence Moore

    Food Not Bombs

    Anjani Moro

    Anaca

    Betty James Leaks, President of APWU Local 0807

    William Christopher, SC Alliance of Retired Americans

    Annie Mahaffey, PSL

    Jessica Thomas, Carolina For All

    Closing Remarks - Sam Gibbons

  • North Grounds Tabling Organizations

    Water Tent

    Medic Tent

    Hosts

    50501SC

    Better Ballot SC

    Carolina For All

    Indivisible District 2

    ACLU SC

    Midlands Food Not Bombs - Donation Collection

    Organizations
    Midlands Defensa

    Carolina Peace

    Charleston DSA (Democratic Socialists of America)

    Columbia DSA (Democratic Socialists of America)

    Richland County Democratic Party

    Central Midlands Good Troublemakers

    South Carolina Labor Party

    League of Women Voters SC

    Moms Demand Action

    SC PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation)

    SC Progressive Network

    Columbia RCA (Revolutionary Communists of America)

    Singing Resistance SC

    Unitarian Universalist Congregation

    Young Dems of Central Midlands

🚨 CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS 🚨

We need volunteers who can help with one or more of the following:

• Set up: Help us unload supplies, set up tables and tents, and more!

• Water: Help keep attendees hydrated by passing out free water in shifts from 10:30am-3pm. Some volunteers will staff the water table, others will carry water around the grounds to hand out to folks.

• Safety: Help keep an eye on the crowd and ensure a safe event for all! Shifts available from 10:30am-3pm. Training required and provided.

• Tear down: Help us tear down and load up the event, clean up the grounds, and pack donations for Food Not Bombs. 2:30-4:30pm

• General Support: Shifts from 10:30am-3pm helping organizers as-needed.

To volunteer, please join our Volunteer Waiting Room on Signal. A member of our team will get you situated from there.

Volunteer Waiting Room on Signal

📌 CALL FOR DONATIONS 📌

Whether or not you choose to volunteer, please consider bringing donations to help support the event:

• Cases of unopened bottled water

• Bags of ice (we go through a lot at events!)

And please help us spread the word about the donation drive supporting Food Not Bombs Midlands! Here are some of their most urgent needs:

• Instant coffee

• Dry Pasta

• Pasta sauce

• Dry beans

• Bags of sugar

• Coffee creamer

• Rice

• Ketchup

Columbia

State House 3PM
www.instagram.com/p/DVTdnw7kZkK/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1742557786726850/

Augusta

IBEW Local 1579 Augusta - 3PM
https://www.facebook.com/events/1839331003412401/

Charleston

Marion Square 5PM
www.instagram.com/p/DVTfaQPDtvr/

IMPORTANT NOTE:

You may see conflicting information on social media or from friends. This post is the most up-to-date information, and we will continue to update it as details are worked out for the various events. Please check back here for correct information!

• SATURDAY 3/28 •

Aiken

10AM - 1PM
ODell Weeks Activity Center
1700 Whiskey Rd
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/906826/

Charleston

3PM - 5PM
5201 Ashley Phosphate Rd
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/903233/

Columbia

10:30AM - 3:00PM
State House, 1100 Gervais St
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/901216/

Greenwood

2PM - 4PM, Uptown
Corner of Main St & Court Ave E
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/906198/

Greenville

12PM - 5PM
Starting at One City Plaza
103 N Main St, Details TBA
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/901960/

Laurens

10AM - 12PM
Corner of Main St & Harper St
Free Parking N Harper & Main
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/910509/

Myrtle Beach

11AM - 1PM
Chapin Memorial Park
400 14th Ave N
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/907469/

Pendleton

2PM - 4PM
Pendleton Square
100 E Queen St
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/909012/

• More SC Events •

The events listed above are the only 50501-organized, hosted, or co-hosted events.

Don’t see your town listed? Find more events around the state at nokings.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t my city have an event planned?

It could be that an event is still in the works, but it’s also possible no one was available to organize it. You can organize one though! Check out our handy guide to get started.

Why aren’t we all in Columbia/DC/other place or thing that I have a question about?

In a word: accessibility. Not everyone is able to travel hours away from home. In South Carolina, we are focused on organizing in our local communities.

Some cities are marching in the streets. Some rallies are very visible. Some protests are at the offices of our representatives. It very much depends on the capacity of the local organizer(s), the local community, and the local options.

How do I get involved beyond attending actions?

This is one of our favorite questions! We wrote a whole post about it — check it out below!

To go straight to our resources: linktr.ee/50501sc

To contact us with resources to add: organizers [at] 50501sc.org

Let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair - Mariame Kaba

If you are feeling overwhelming grief, rage, and despair — you are not alone. If you find yourself crying at random moments, or with a shorter fuse, or simply over it — you are not alone. Maybe you feel helpless, hopeless, or such a conflicting spiral of emotions, it’s hard to pin down what’s what. You are not alone.

It’s Halloween and also day 31 of the government shutdown. MAGA lawmakers aren’t even at work. Instead, they’re in the media and online trying to blame everything on “Democrats”. They’re focused on making these escalating crises a partisan issue. Instead of, y’know, doing their jobs and taking care of our communities.

• Open enrollment starts tomorrow, and millions of people will see their premiums double and triple. Some of those increases have already gone into effect.

• More than 40 million people won’t receive their SNAP benefits tomorrow.

• Our neighbors are still being ripped from their homes by unidentified masked men.

• Our streets are still being militarized.

• And, not for nothing, the President of the United States of America publicly called a cognitive test for dementia a “very hard” IQ test.

Learn more about what’s going on: https://www.ifwedonteat.com

This authoritarian regime is taking a wrecking ball to the very few safety nets we had in this country, so they can give their billionaire friends tax breaks (and try to make us forget they were buying and selling children on private islands, and now are hiding the files).

The regime would rather we go hungry. They would rather we not receive health care. They would rather the people in this country die than for them to do the right thing.

Everyone deserves food, health care, housing, water, and so much more. These are basic needs and human rights.

The idea that anyone doesn’t deserve these basic human rights is mind-bogglingly hateful, and creating policy that turns those hateful ideas into reality? That’s violent. It is violence by way of policy instead of fists or guns, but it’s still violence.

This regime is making us suffer because they don’t care about us.

We aren’t giving up on each other. We need each other. We have always needed each other, though capitalism and white supremacy have taught us otherwise.

Find & Give Support

We are continuing to update resources for food, health care, housing, mutual aid, and more as we verify them. Find them here 👉 linktr.ee/50501sc

November Actions

• Nov 1: Protest for Gaza with Carolina Peace. Every Saturday 11am-noon at the State House in Columbia. Until the killing stops.

• Nov 1+2: Join or host Disappeared in America Weekend of Action events to protect immigrants

• Nov 2: “Full Plates Over Politics” Food Drive at 144 Leisure Lane, Columbia. Collecting non perishable food and meals, cooking oils, spices, baby formula, diapers, manual can openers, and pet supplies. Cash donations also accepted. Hosted by Soda City Dems

• Nov 3 + 4: VOTE. Dozens of municipal elections in SC are happening next week. Find your local election info here, make a plan, tell your friends and neighbors, and go vote

• Nov 8: Fall Mutual Aid Fair hosted by Food Not Bombs Midlands. 1-5pm at MLK Park, Columbia

• Nov 9: Join the pop-up protests hosted by Silence Is Not An Option (SINO). Join 50501 Charleston on E.Bay at Broad from 2-3pm. Info here. There is a parking garage nearby at 25 Prioleau St.

• Nov 11: Join or host Vets Say No | No Oaths to Trump Overpass Banner actions

• Nov 13: Ahead of SC’s 7th scheduled death penalty execution in just 13 months, join South Carolinians For Alternatives To The Death Penalty at the State House in Columbia to deliver a petition asking Governor Henry McMaster to commute the sentences of South Carolina’s death row prisoners to life in prison without parole.

• Nov 15: Drop in at the SMASHGIVING 2025 Food + Supply Drive in Piedmont | hosted by 50501 SC and Indivisible Upstate

• Nov 18: 50501 SC is joining Palmetto State Abortion Fund for a Rally for Reproductive Justice at the State House in Columbia. The SC Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee plans to reconvene to debate S.323, the extreme abortion ban currently under consideration. During this hearing, legislators will discuss amendments and vote on whether to move the bill forward. While public testimony will not be heard, the public is allowed to be present — and we intend to make sure they see and feel the power of our collective voice. The Rally is from 1-5pm, with speakers from 3-4pm. If you’re able, please consider joining us to take a stand for reproductive justice.

• Nov 20-22: Join Remove the Regime in DC to rally, directly lobby for the removal of this regime, and march for a better future. There is a bus going from the Upstate. Info & sign-up here.

• Nov 25-Dec 5: Blackout The System. Join the largest economic boycott in U.S. history to hit the billionaires where it hurts — their wallets

• Ongoing:

  • Join the 2025 Virtual Fund Drive for Lowcountry Food Bank, hosted by the SC Labor Party and encourage our representatives to donate their paychecks to keep our emergency food services operational.

  • Participate in strategic boycotts. Start here

  • Find weekly action items via the No Kings Alliance

  • We’ll keep updating here on Substack too!

You are not alone

Last night, Working Families Power, Popular Democracy, SEIU, 50501, and many more hosted a mass call:

“We’re being asked to choose between food and no health care. And no health care, and maybe food. This is the choice. 42 million people, 16 million kids, during the month of Thanksgiving. How does this make sense?”

- DaMareo Cooper, Co-Executive Director, Popular Democracy

It doesn’t make sense. This call was a jolt of solidarity and a powerful call to action for all of us. Watch below:

We keep us safe.

And remember — if you see someone stealing food, baby supplies, hygiene items, etc? No you didn’t.

In solidarity,

50501 SC

Thank you to all of our volunteers, groups, and organizations that carpooled and coordinated from across the state to make it to Columbia, and to our whole team of volunteer organizers who worked tirelessly to share their time, talents, and resources to make 10/18 such an impactful day.

We made a powerful statement, with millions across the nation gathering to stand in solidarity against the authoritarian takeover of our country. Thousands of South Carolinians joined together to rally at the State House and march to the Governor’s Mansion to protest McMaster’s complicity in the Trump Regime’s treasonous activities and trampling of human rights. Thousands more gathered at events across the state, from small groups of 5 to groups of thousands.

On October 18th, we made it clear that we will not be silent, we will not bend the knee, and we will stand together in numbers they cannot ignore.

By the Numbers

The numbers are in and we are so proud of you SC!

• At the State House in Columbia: 17,000 people

• In Charleston: 3,200 attendees

• In Myrtle Beach: 3,000 attendees

• In Greenwood today (10/25/25): At least 85 attendees!
  Greenwood hosted their No Kings event today so they could support the statewide push to Columbia on 10/18, and then they still got out and had their own!

And — after hearing from organizers of events across the state, we can confidently say — at least 38,450 people united across the state of South Carolina for No Kings Day on 10/18/25!

This statewide number includes rallies, protests, and demonstrations in Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston, Summerville, Spartanburg, Newberry, Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head, Conway, Florence, Walterboro, Seneca, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Indian Land, and Edisto Beach.

The 10/25/25 event in Greenwood has not yet been tallied or added to the final count. Other events around the state that we have not yet been able to verify are not included in our count.

Methodology

A note on crowd size

Still images rarely show the whole crowd at once, nor do they show how people move around or come and go. If someone can only come for half the rally, they should still be counted. This is why even video can be deceiving because what it shows is dependent on when it was captured. That’s part of why accurate counting can be a time-intensive process, and why time-lapse videos can be fascinating to watch and also be helpful for understanding the scope of events.

Columbia

Our counting team documented the Columbia event themselves and then spent 24+ hours parsing the data. They compared their documentation to publicly available sources and spent hours digging through information like street data, photos, videos, and drone footage. The data was then overlaid on tiles colored by density zones, and frankly — there’s a whole lot of math involved that is beyond this humble Comms team.

In Columbia, peak attendance (the most people in one place at the same time) was 16,000. When accounting for people who left early and came late, or who ran out of nearby businesses and buildings to cheer and chant with us — that number jumps to 17,000 with high confidence. There is a +/- 10% margin of error, so in the “worst case” scenario, when the Crowd Counting Consortium verifies our data, the total for Columbia will still be above 15,000.

Around South Carolina

Around the state, organizers submitted their numbers and information to our data team. Our team then compared those numbers to publicly available data (street data, photos, videos, etc).

Each event was submitted to the Crowd Counting Consortium separately.

All Together Now

The counts from each event were tallied, bringing us to a statewide number of 38,450 people protesting at a No Kings event on 10/18/25 in South Carolina.

50501 🤝 Indivisible

50501 and Indivisible teamed up to co-host the Columbia event, and Indivisible Upstate was indispensable. From the planning process (and dozens of meetings and group chats!) to coordinating community carpools from the Upstate to bringing their volunteers and Superheroes — we’re grateful for our continued partnership.

50501 🤝 Food Not Bombs

Food Not Bombs - Midlands continues to be a force for good in the greater Columbia area. They are a mutual aid group that organizes to feed and clothe our unhoused neighbors, and we’re told it took two trips in a three-row vehicle for them to pack up all of the wonderful donations so many of you brought to the State House. They were able to immediately start distributing that aid directly to community members.

What’s Next?

We should all be proud of how we showed up for No Kings. Thousands of you were able to connect with local advocacy organizations, meet new like-minded friends, and learn more about how to fight back against the regime.

But simply protesting isn’t the answer. The work doesn’t end when you go home and put away your sign.

There is still so much to do, and with ICE still kidnapping people around the country and the ongoing federal shutdown set to abandon millions of people without SNAP benefits come November 1 — we need all hands on deck.

• While the big protest days get a lot of coverage, the “smaller” stuff that happens day-to-day can be easy to miss. Our attention right now is on local, community-based actions. Our volunteers are working with food organizations to ensure we have an accurate resource list of places where folks can be fed and get their needs met. We’re also organizing groups to stand against the total abortion ban bill and other concerning legislation, as well as targeted boycotts and protests. We release information about these initiatives to our members and volunteers in Discord and Signal first, as well as on social media and right here on Substack.

• Send/Receive ICE Raid Alerts

• Download “Red Cards” to carry with you. Ask local businesses if you can leave some there, give them to friends — spread the word

• Pick at least one for the coming week: One Million Experiments: Some Actions That Are Not Protesting or Voting

• Download and use this PDF Action Guide

• Get familiar with the United States Constitution

• Know your rights + ACLU Know Your Rights

• Track legislation

• A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink

• What you can do: Ten ways to resist Trump II

• Erica Chenoweth’s TEDx Talk: The Success of Nonviolent Civil Resistance

• Learn more about the political landscape we’re organizing in, how we can build power together, and what we need to do to create change with this library of Mass Calls hosted by the Working Families Party.

• Volunteer with us! Start by joining our Discord👇

Join 50501 SC Community Discord

Subscribe now

Share 50501 South Carolina

State House Speakers and Partners

Review the lists of our No Kings partners and speakers below. Research the organizations and causes that speak to your heart, and throw your time and support behind their mission. Everyone could use more community support 🫶

Hosts

50501 SC
50501sc.org

50501 National
www.fiftyfifty.one/

Indivisible Upstate
indivisibleupstatesc.org

Indivisible National
indivisible.org

Partners & Tabling Organizations

• The Nickelodeon Theater
  A huge thank you to the Nickelodeon Theater for use of their bathrooms for the march! While rally attendees were able to use the State House bathrooms, the Nickelodeon Theater helped make the march more accessible. nickelodeon.org

• 50501 Augusta facebook.com/50501augustaga

• 50501 Veterans 50501vets.com

• Greenville Progressive Coalition resistgvl.com

• Food Not Bombs Midlands instagram.com/fnb_midlands

• General Strike US - Carolinas https://linktr.ee/generalstrikecarolinas

• Palmetto State Abortion Fund (PSAF) palmettostateabortionfund.com

• Moms Demand Action momsdemandaction.org

• Better Ballot SC betterballotsc.org

• Carolina Peace carolinapeace.wordpress.com

• SCEA Midlands thescea.org

• United Campus Workers SC ucwsc.org

• League of Women Voters my.lwv.org/south-carolina-state

• Veterans For All Voters veteransforallvoters.org

• SC Jobs with Justice facebook.com/scjwj

• Labor Party, South Carolina Chapter votelabor.org

• Charleston Democratic Socialists of America charlestondsa.org

• SC Revolutionary Communists of America instagram.com/colacommunists

• SC Party for Socialism and Liberation instagram.com/southcarolinapsl

• Richland County Democratic Party richlandscdems.com

• Young Dems of Central Midlands ydofcm.com

Speakers - Rally

• Sam Gibbons

  50501 South Carolina State Liaison

• Lawrence Moore

  Chair, Carolina For All, carolinaforall.org

• Will David McCorkle

  Immigration Advocate/Educator-Charleston, facebook.com/willdavid11

• Profitt

  50501 SC Organizer

• Lynn Teague

  VP of League of Women Voters of South Carolina, my.lwv.org/south-carolina-state

• Nicole Sanchez

  Better Ballot SC, betterballotsc.org

• Neel Sawicky

  Chair, South Carolina Labor Party, votelabor.org

• Rev Susie Smith

  Retired Pastor, Activist

• Anson Foster

  South Carolina AFL-CIO Organizer, aflciosc.org

Speakers - During the march

• Sigourney
  Musician

• Jessica Thomas

  Candidate, City of Columbia Mayor colacitysmayor2026.com

• Kasie Whitener

  Candidate, US Senate (Libertarian Party) kasiesouthcarolina.com

• Young Dems of Central Midlands

  ydofcm.com

• Christopher Giracello

  Candidate, US Senate, YouTube

• Sylvia Wright

  Candidate, South Carolina Superintendent of Education wright2026sc.com

• Dr. Annie Andrews

  Candidate, US Senate drannieandrews.com

• Julie Zimmerman

  Candidate, South Carolina House District 71 instagram.com/juliezforsc

• Catherine Fleming Bruce

  Candidate, US Senate facebook.com/CatherineFlemingBruceforSouthCarolina

• Kyle Freeman

  Candidate, US Senate kylefreemanforsenate.com

• Walid Hakim

  Candidate, South Carolina Governor (Green Party) facebook.com/walidnhakim

• Mr. Magoo

  50501 SC Organizer

• Downtown Batman

  https://linktr.ee/DowntownBatman

• Michelle Shara

  50501 Organizer

Media Coverage

In a world full of algorithms and regime lies — media outlets and journalists are under increasing pressure, hate, and threats. Let’s make sure the outlets and journalists who covered No Kings know their commitment to journalistic ethics is appreciated.

• https://www.postandcourier.com/columbia/news/protest-thousands-statehouse-cuts-ice-raids/article_442a0a5f-04b1-4894-8349-64cddabca71a.html

• https://www.sodacitizen.com/home/qyvdg789bnlkamuu2fo2fe9ulvp806

• https://wach.com/news/local/thousands-rally-in-front-of-state-house-for-no-kings-protest

• https://scdailygazette.com/2025/10/18/thousands-rally-at-sc-statehouse-during-nationwide-no-kings-protest/

• https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article312558060.html

We are worth fighting for.

In love and y’allidarity,

Your friendly local “radicals”

Need a ride?

By car, van, and bus, folks are coming from all over the state! Find a ride from Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Aiken, Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg and more at linktr.ee/50501SC

Parking 101

Please look at this interactive parking map from the City of Columbia at: https://parking.columbiasc.gov/downtown-parking-map/

If you have limited mobility, Sumter Street is a viable drop off point with street parking in the area. Our next recommendation would be to park at the Lady Street Garage. Exit along Lady Street leaving by turning right out of the garage. Then turn right again at Main St, and the State House will be in front of you.

Know Your Rights: We have the right to protest

Familiarize yourself with your legal rights before attending. Understand your right to free speech, assembly, and protection against unlawful search and seizure.

The ACLU has compiled a comprehensive guide online at https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights

Rally Day Reminders

• Absolutely no weapons.

• Your accessibility needs are important! While we never recommend sitting down during escalation, we DO recommend bringing a chair if you’d like or need to sit during the rally itself. Also consider bringing other accessibility needs, like ear plugs for loud crowds and music.

• Service animals welcome! Please no pets though, the crowd is expected to be too large for non-service animals. We don’t want your furry friend to be overwhelmed or scared.

• Bring a friend! Remember to plan meeting points and what to do if separated.

• Come prepared: Leave phones at home. Remember to apply sunscreen, eat, and hydrate before attending. Wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Consider a KN95 or better (there’s a measles outbreak in SC y’all). Bring a snack and reusable water bottle, and then you can refill at the water table!

Mutual Aid Drive

If you’re able, please bring items for our Mutual Aid Drive in partnership with Food Not Bombs Midlands.

Event Schedule

• 1:30 - Join us at the State House in Columbia! We’ll start with meeting community members, chanting, and sign-waving. And music!

  
  ℹ️ Stop by and see us at the 50501 Info Table, or find a volunteer with a badge for information and answers to your questions ℹ️
  

• 2:00 - Hear from local advocates, activists, and folks who are on the frontlines about the state of authoritarianism we’re in and what we can do about it.

• 2:30 - Optional march to the Governor’s Mansion. The rally will also continue at the State House with informational tables from labor and advocacy groups, more speakers (including several third party candidates), live music, and more!

• 4pm - The march will rejoin the rally for a special closing!

Resources:

Other questions?

Please email NoKings@50501sc.org.

See you out there South Carolina ✊

We understand the political climate right now is scary and people are on edge. We understand fear and uncertainty only grow when people are confused. We believe it’s important to acknowledge these feelings and ensure we are providing the support and transparency the community deserves.

50501 SC was not initially involved in this event. It is being hosted by two independent community members who took the initiative to organize it through the national No Kings coalition. They went through the process to receive a permit and communicate with the City of Myrtle Beach and the Myrtle Beach Police Department for the necessary conversations about barriers and coverage.

In addition to the national No Kings coalition verifying the event, 50501 SC state and local volunteer organizers have now been in conversation with the independent community members volunteering to organize the Chapin Park event. We have verified they are real people with good intentions, a safety plan, and a volunteer team to support the event.

As of 10/15/25, we are pleased to say 50501 SC is now supporting the 10/18 No Kings event at Chapin Park in Myrtle Beach, in addition to our statewide mobilization to the State House in Columbia. Local volunteers with 50501 SC will also be in attendance at the Chapin Park event to support the independent organizers.

Thank you to the community members who have engaged in this important conversation, and to the City of Myrtle Beach for their support as we worked through the concerns from the community. While our primary No Kings event remains the statewide mobilization to the State House, we encourage community members who cannot travel to Columbia to support the Chapin Park event.

You can find more information about these events on our website: 50501sc.org. You are also welcome to email Organizers@50501sc.org or 50501_MBTeam@proton.me for more information.

In solidarity,

Volunteer Organizers
50501 SC

They want us scared. They want us to roll over and quietly let them continue dismantling our rights. They want to label dissenters “terrorists”.

They want a lot of us dead.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”? They don’t care.

No boot lickers here.

There’s a lot in our past here in the south that we still need to atone for. And there’s also a longstanding spirit of rebellion, of “damn the man” energy, and a refusal to bend the knee or lick the boot. While a lot of our elected representatives here in South Carolina have forgotten that history — we haven’t.

Dissent loudly.

For the upcoming 10/18 No Kings national day of mobilization, join us in Columbia for our a statewide protest and mutual aid drive.

While we know some local rallies will pop up in support of 10/18, we also hope anyone who is able to join us in Columbia will.

Info + Optional Registration

Community Support during No Kings

FAQs

Are there other 50501 events in SC for No Kings?

The only other 50501 rally in South Carolina is in North Charleston. Click this link for more information. Charleston organizers are sending a group to Columbia, and also hosting this event for anyone who isn’t able to make the trip.

We are also supporting the Chapin Park No Kings event in Myrtle Beach. You can read our statement about it here.

There are no other 50501 events in South Carolina. There is a list of events verified and vetted by the No Kings coalition available at NoKings.org.

What should I expect in Columbia?

We will start the rally at 1:30pm, with speakers starting around 2pm. At 2:30, we’ll start an optional march. Anyone who doesn’t march can continue the rally at the State House with music, chants, and tables to learn more about and from local organizations and actions you can take.

What should I bring?

Water. Please bring water.

Sunblock. A hat. Comfortable shoes. Ear plugs for a noisy crowd.

If able, please bring items for the donation drive too.

And don’t forget your favorite sign(s)!

[Virtual] Sign-Making Parties!

Transportation options?

Local organizers are facilitating car, van, and bus-pool options. Please join our Discord to connect with your local organizers.

You can also find an updated list of carpool options here: linktr.ee/50501SC

And of course you can drive yourself or with friends, but please do an Internet search to discover the best parking options for your trip to Columbia.

There’s other stuff happening in Columbia that day!!!

Yes, we know. There’s a USC home game, and the State Fair. We encourage you to head on over and check out the fair before or after the protest, if you’re interested! Please plan for traffic and bring an extra couple ounces of patience with you too.

I want to volunteer, table, or speak!

We love to hear it. Please email NoKings@50501sc.org and we’ll be in touch.

Volunteers must attend training.

Update: As of 10/16, we are out of space for more tables and we are creating an overflow speaker list.

How else can I help?

You can donate to our water fund! We are 100% volunteer-run, we aren’t a nonprofit, and we don’t receive any funding — everything you see us using or providing is either donated or purchased with organizers’ personal money. That includes all of the water at actions. Every dollar helps us make sure we have enough water for everyone! You are also welcome to bring water and drop it off at our water table when you arrive.

Donate to the water fund

50501 is a nonviolent movement. A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted (none are legally permitted on State House grounds), should not be brought to events.

This is the info we have as of August 28, 2025. We’ll update this as we know more.

• SATURDAY 8/30 •

Myrtle Beach

10AM - 12PM
1119 Farrow Parkway
Across the street from Valor Memorial Garden

• Monday 9/1 •

Aiken

10AM - 12PM
Odell Weeks Activity Center
1700 Whiskey Rd

Charleston

10AM - 12PM
Rally at Remount Rd in Hanahan

Columbia

11AM rally, 12PM march
State House, 1100 Gervais St

Greenville + Upstate

Bridge the Gap
Time TBD
Banner Drop, Bridges & Overpasses across Upstate SC

Rock Hill

1:30 - 3PM
Dave Lyle Blvd between Main & White
with York County Rising

• SATURDAY 9/6 •

Greenwood

12 - 2PM
Corner of Main St & Court Ave E
in Uptown Greenwood

• Later in September •

Myrtle Beach

September 17, 5 - 7PM
Chapin Memorial Park 400 14th Ave N

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t my city have an event planned?

It could be that an event is still in the works, but it’s also possible no one was available to organize it. You can organize one though! Check out our handy guide to get started.

Why aren’t we all in Columbia/DC/other place that I have a question about?

In a word: accessibility. Not everyone is able to travel hours away from home. We understand the desire to see millions of people in one place. We hope to see that too! Right now, we are focused on organizing in our local communities.

Why aren’t we marching in the streets? Why are our rallies at places that aren’t publicly visible? Why aren’t we protesting at representatives’ offices?

Every organizer is going to have a different answer to this question. Some cities and states are marching in the streets. Some rallies are very visible. Some protests are at the offices of representatives. It very much depends on the capacity of the local organizer(s), the local community, and the local options.

How do I get involved beyond attending actions?

This is one of our favorite questions! We wrote a whole post about it — check it out below!

Emergency Statement: South Carolinians Condemn the Deployment of the S.C. National Guard to D.C.

We unequivocally condemn yesterday's announcement that Governor Henry McMaster is sending the South Carolina National Guard to Washington, D.C. to support the regime's agenda.

The deployment of the National Guard and militarized forces into the streets of Washington, D.C. — our nation's capital, the symbolic heart of American democracy — is an authoritarian move cloaked in the language of "order."

This isn't about security or peace or order. This is about power. This is about silencing dissent through intimidation.

Tanks and troops do not belong on our streets.

We will not stand for the militarization of our nation's capital, nor for the military being weaponized against our people.

The militarization of D.C. is not a show of strength. It's a show of fear. It's a government afraid of its own people. This is what creeping authoritarianism looks like. This is what happens when elected leaders forget who they are supposed to serve and decide to rule by force.

We refuse to accept the normalization of military presence in civilian life. Washington, D.C. is not a war zone. Our people are not the enemy. The National Guard was not created to patrol city blocks in peacetime, to menace homeless people and protestors, or to send a political message.

Every soldier deployed against civilians weakens the foundation of our republic.

We reject the notion that military intervention is a legitimate answer to the fake crisis Trump claims is happening in D.C. When our government turns its uniformed forces inward against its own citizens, it risks not only escalating tensions, but undermining the public's trust in the institutions meant to serve them.

We demand:

• An immediate withdrawal of all military forces from Washington, D.C.

• Accountability from SC Governor Henry McMaster and his counterparts in West Virginia and Ohio who have confirmed they are also sending the National Guard to D.C.

• A reaffirmation from our elected leaders to uphold the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution

We call on elected leaders at every level to denounce this militarization of our public life.

We remind our leaders: Your power comes from the people, not from the threat of force.

Signed,

Carolinas
Voices of Florida

Take Action

This Labor Day we are deepening and strengthening our labor and community coalitions while continuing to build our power and capacity to fight back authoritarianism.

Join the Mass Call to hear about Labor Day plans and how they fit into our broader plans to build the grassroots power we need to build the world we deserve.

Tonight: Thurs. Aug 14 | 7-8pm Eastern

Register for the call

More About The 9/1 Nationwide Actions and May Day Strong

Labor and community are planning more than a barbecue on Labor Day this year because we have to stop the billionaire takeover. Billionaires are stealing from working families, destroying our democracy, and building private armies to attack our towns and cities.

Just like any bad boss, the way we stop the takeover is with collective action. We are May Day Strong, working people rising up to stop the billionaire takeover — not only through the ballot box or the courts, but through building a bigger and stronger movement.

On September 1st we will continue the movement we launched on May 1st via the May Day actions.

Learn more about the May Day Strong Labor Day coalition at maydaystrong.org.

August 50501 SC Events (so far!)

This is the info we have as of July 30, 2025. As more info is finalized, we’ll add it here.

• FRIDAY 8/1 •

Anti-ICE Sick Out Coalition Day with General Strike Carolinas. We’re sick of ICE — call out 8/1 as part of the first wave of work stoppage.

Charleston

Sign waving event
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Between Leeds Ave & Faber Place Dr
N. Charleston

Rock Hill

Postcards + March with
1 - 3 p.m.
Postcards upstairs at The Mercantile | 153 E. White Street
March to Ralph Norman’s office to hand deliver them | 516 Oakland Avenue

• SATURDAY 8/2 •

Anderson

Liberty and Justice for ALL: Rally Against ICE
4-6 p.m.
Anderson Courthouse
100 S Main St, Anderson

Augusta / Aiken

Rally with 50501 Augusta, 50501 Aiken, 50501 GA, August DSA, August Food Not Bombs, Augusta Tenants Union
Pop Up Soup Kitchen and Food Drive
10AM - 12PM
IBEW Local 1579
1250 Reynolds St, Augusta

Charleston

Sign waving event
9 - 11 a.m.
On the sidewalk of Rivers Blvd between Northwoods Blvd & Easy St.
N. Charleston

Columbia

Rally
10:30AM - 12:30PM
State House
1100 Gervais St

Greenville

Rally
10 a.m.
Falls Park
601 S. Main Street, Greenville

Myrtle Beach

Reading Against the Regime Rally
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Chapin Park
400 14th Ave N

Rock Hill

Demonstration with
2-4 p.m.
Dave Lyle between Main & White

• SATURDAY 8/9 •

Rock Hill

with
details TBA

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t my city have an event planned?

It could be that an event is still in the works, but it’s also likely because no one was available to organize it. You can organize one though! Check out our handy guide to get started.

Why aren’t we all in Columbia/DC/other place that I have a question about?

In a word: accessibility. Not everyone is able to travel hours away from home. We understand the desire to see millions of people in one place. We hope to see that too! Right now, we are focused on organizing in our local communities.

Why aren’t we marching in the streets? Why are our rallies at places that aren’t publicly visible? Why aren’t we protesting at representatives’ offices?

Every organizer is going to have a different answer to this question. Some cities and states are marching in the streets. Some rallies are very visible. Some protests are at the offices of representatives. It very much depends on the capacity of the local organizer(s), the local community, and the local options.

How do I get involved beyond attending actions?

This is one of our favorite questions! We wrote a whole post about it — check it out below!

At 50501 SC, we are committed to upholding the values of the 50501 movement in the Palmetto State — and we could use your help to do it!

While the movement is growing fast across the country and here in SC, we are still a very small group of volunteers behind-the-scenes.

We are looking for new volunteers to join the South Carolina team and support the fight against this regime. While we wish we could offer you those mythical “Soros bucks” some folks like to claim protestors and organizers are receiving, we’re all volunteers here.

Who are our volunteers?

Our volunteers are fairly diverse across age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. Some volunteer an hour a week, some volunteer 10 or more hours each week, and some are seemingly always around — or, to borrow and paraphrase: from each what they can.

You’ll fit right in if you also genuinely care about people, appreciate and participate in clear communication, give and take feedback with kindness, and are keen to volunteer with a decentralized, asynchronous team that laughs and cusses a lot (just not at each other).

Our immediate needs include:

Social Moderators (Mods)

Social Mods answer questions and direct people to resources, de-escalate as needed to maintain community standards in comments and small group messages, and raise issues to the larger team.

• There is no content creation necessary in a moderator role

• We provide training and ongoing mentorship

Skills/Experience/Tech

• Comfort navigating social platform(s)

• Customer service experience and interest is useful

• Experience de-escalating online is particularly helpful

• A device capable of using social platforms, Discord, and Signal

Time Commitment

• This team meets virtually every two weeks (Wednesdays at 7:30pm, currently)

• Estimated minimum 5 hours per week

Visual Content Creators

As every Content Creator knows — good content takes time and energy, and our team is running short on both. Our immediate need is support creating educational and informational content relevant to our South Carolina community. We do not use AI to create content.

• There is no moderation necessary in a Content Creator role

• We provide ongoing mentorship

Skills/Experience/Tech

• Communication and instructional skills. Ability to break down topics into common language and create interesting content about it

• Experience creating clean, crisp social media videos and/or graphics

• Commitment to not using AI to create content

• A device capable of creating video/graphic content and using Discord and Signal

Time Commitment

• This team meets virtually every two weeks (Wednesdays at 7:30pm, currently)

• The time it takes you to create the content you agree to create

Writers and Journalists

Here again — good writing takes time and energy, and our team is running short on both. Writers and journalists create short, medium, and long form written content for Substack, write and update press releases, conduct interviews with protestors, community members, and other event attendees, and provide writing support for the larger Communications team (visual content creators, press team, etc). We do not use AI to create content.

• We use an established Editorial Style Guide, and an editor takes a final pass on all written content for accuracy and clarity

• There is no moderation, graphics, or video creation necessary in this role

• We provide ongoing mentorship

Skills/Experience/Tech

• Clear, concise, and conversational writing skills

• Familiarity with journalistic ethics and processes

• Experience working within a larger editorial team is a bonus

• Some rapid response availability and skills are very useful

• Commitment to not using AI to create content

• A device capable of using Proton Docs, Discord, and Signal

Time Commitment

• This team meets virtually every two weeks (Wednesdays at 7:30pm, currently)

• The time it takes you to create the content you agree to create

Outreach Support

50501 SC and local teams are committed to working with local organizations, organizers, mutual aid groups, and community groups. Our outreach volunteers research existing organizations and groups, connect with them, and build the relationships that help sustain a coalition movement.

• Skills/Experience/Tech

  • A genuine desire to build relationships around the Palmetto State and support local organizers in connecting with local organizations and groups

  • Clear, kind communication

  • Project management and teamwork skills

  • Research skills are helpful

  • A device capable of using Proton Docs, CryptPad, Discord, Signal, and email

• Time Commitment

  • Estimated 3-5 hours per week for outreach, follow up, and ongoing communication

Event Volunteers

Event volunteers are the backbone of our in-person events — from marches to rallies to sign-waving demonstrations and candlelight vigils, event volunteers keep the show running. Roles range from providing water and passing out information to de-escalation and safety teams. Every team around the states needs more event volunteers, and we are always happy to connect you with your local organizer(s).

• Skills/Experience/Tech

  • Kindness and patience

  • Willingness to help

  • A device capable of accessing Discord and Signal

• Time Commitment

  • Event volunteers attend trainings appropriate to their event role, including de-escalation and safety training

  • Event volunteers generally arrive early to help with set up and/or stay after to help with clean up, though the times vary based on local event needs

Local Organizers

Local organizers are the primary point person for local actions. They are the people responsible for taking an action from idea to reality. We wrote a whole Substack post about local organizers. You can read there by clicking here. And there’s more information about the behind-the-scenes of our organizers here.

Skills/Experience/Tech

• A genuine desire to serve your local community

• Willingness to attend ongoing trainings, including de-escalation, safety, and legal

• Clear communication skills

• Project management and cat-herding skills

• Research skills are helpful

• A device capable of using Proton Docs, Discord, Signal, and email

Time Commitment

Arguably one of the more time-intensive volunteer commitments, local organizers often put in 10-20 hours or more each week. This varies significantly based on how much support you have locally and how extensive your plans are.

Even if you don’t have anyone around you locally at the start, you won’t have to do it alone — organizers around the state will support you in planning, logistics, and graphic creation.

There are several very experienced organizers in our state who are always happy to answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and provide mentorship to newer organizers.

Next Steps

Whether you want to volunteer or simply want to be in community with us, you’ll find the action on our Discord. Come on in and say hi!

Join us on Discord!

Representative Wilson,

I am a veteran. My wife is a pastor. We both have served this country in different ways — me most notably through military service, and her through gospel. We’ve also both relied on programs like VA healthcare and Medicaid at critical points in our lives.

After graduating seminary, but before receiving her pastoral call, my wife had no employer-sponsored insurance. I had no employer-sponsored insurance as I was using my GI Bill benefits to attend school. My VA healthcare benefits do not extend to my wife. Luckily, the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) filled that gap. Without it, there would have been a three-month lapse in coverage, or six months when accounting for our move. That’s half a year without insurance under this reconciliation bill’s new requirements. One ER visit could have put us in debt for life.

Even after she got private insurance and canceled her ACA coverage, UnitedHealthcare continued charging her for five months. Our bank eventually reversed the charges. I reported the issue to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Department of Insurance. I don’t know if the government ever got its money back, but I tried.

That’s why the CFPB matters. Since 2011, it has clawed back over $21 billion for American consumers, about $3 of taxpayer money back in their pocket for every $1 spent. That is accountability and good stewardship, plain and simple.

Medicaid and the CFPB are both safety nets that help Americans stay afloat while they work, study, serve, or recover. They protect the vulnerable and uphold the dignity of honest effort. The reconciliation bill’s work requirement, using a 30-90-day lookback, would destroy that safety net for many South Carolinians, including families like mine. Cutting CFPB funding in half would only serve the financial institutions it holds accountable.

Fight fraud, not your constituents.

Support the tools that work: Medicaid and the CFPB.

I ask you, not just as a veteran, but as a fellow American, to vote no on this bill. Keep your oath to the Constitution. And to the people it serves.

Thank you,
A constituent and disabled combat veteran

☎️ Ready to call your reps, but need support?

Our partners at have a resource with step-by-step instructions for you: How to apply pressure with phone calls.

July 50501 SC Events (so far!)

• FRIDAY 7/4 •

Charleston

Rally
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
North Charleston City Hall Parking Lot, 2500 City Hall Ln

Columbia

Protest
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Lake Murray Dam, 2101 N. Lake Dr

Greenville

Car Parade w/ Indivisible & GPC
10 a.m.
2111 N. Pleasantburg Dr

Hilton Head

Rally
4-6 p.m.
430 William Hilton Parkway

• SATURDAY 7/5 •

Myrtle Beach

Beach Clean-Up
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
From Myrtle Beach to Pawleys Island

Newberry

Rally
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Corner of Main St & Wilson Rd

• SATURDAY 7/12 •

Rock Hill

Demonstration with York County Rising
2-4 p.m.
Dave Lyle between Main & White

• THURSDAY 7/17 •

Aiken

March at 6 p.m. followed by a rally 6:30 - 8 p.m.
March starts at Friendship Baptist Church
March goes to the Center for African American, History, Arts, Culture

Charleston

Candlelight Vigil
7 - 8:30 p.m.
Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting Street
RSVP required https://mobilize.us/s/Pt7L2I

Clemson

Candlelight Vigil & March
8:30 p.m.
Begins at Catherine J. Smith Plaza College & Edgewood Ave.

Columbia

Community Fun with Crafts
9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Virginia Hylton Park, Lexington

Florence

4 - 6 p.m.
Corner of Palmetto & Irby St

Greenville

Rally w/ Indivisible & GPC
6 p.m.
Unity Park, 355 S Hudson St

Greenwood

4 - 6 p.m.
Corner of Main Street & Court Ave East in Uptown GWD

Newberry

Candlelight Vigil & Silent March
8:30 p.m.
Begins and Ends at 2723 Main St

Pawleys Island

March with Indigo Indivisible
9 - 11 a.m.
9450 Ocean Hwy
Waccamaw Neck Bikeway near S. Causeway Rd

• SATURDAY 7/19 •

Myrtle Beach

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Chapin Park, 400 N. 14th St
w/ Indigo Indivisible

• SATURDAY 7/26 •

Rock Hill

Demonstration with York County Rising
2-4 p.m.
Dave Lyle between Main & White

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t my city have an event planned?

It could be that an event is still in the works, but it’s also likely because no one was available to organize it. You can organize one though! Check out our handy guide to get started.

Why aren’t we all in Columbia/DC/other place that I have a question about?

In a word: accessibility. Not everyone is able to travel hours away from home. We understand the desire to see millions of people in one place. We hope to see that too! Right now, we are focused on organizing in our local communities.

Why aren’t we marching in the streets? Why are our rallies at places that aren’t publicly visible? Why aren’t we protesting at representatives’ offices?

Every organizer is going to have a different answer to this question. Some cities and states are marching in the streets. Some rallies are very visible. Some protests are at the offices of representatives. It very much depends on the capacity of the local organizer(s), the local community, and the local options.

How do I get involved beyond attending actions?

This is one of our favorite questions! We wrote a whole post about it — check it out below!

It’s no secret: summer in the south can be miserable, even without a heat wave.

Hi! Jess with here. We’re a partner organization of 50501 South Carolina, and I organize with both groups. I also live with multiple chronic health conditions that make me more susceptible to overheating and heat exhaustion, plus I’m on a medication that increases my risk. And I’ve lived in the south almost all of my life.

You could say I know a little something about staying safe(r) while protesting or even just existing in the South Carolina heat and humidity. 😅 I also reached out to our medics from 50501 SC and 50501 Veterans for their expertise on the signs and symptoms of heat illness, and how to take care of ourselves.

Know The Signs of Heat Illness

Heat illness can sneak up on you, and you won’t realize it’s happening. It’s important to know the symptoms so you can respond to them early.

Heat Illness

Heat illness is progressive, from cramps → exhaustion → heatstroke.

Watch for muscle cramps, dizziness, headache, nausea.

If symptoms escalate — a faster heart rate, confusion, slurred speech — cool immediately and seek medical help.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke (core ≥40 °C / 104 °F) is life-threatening — call 911, use ice-water immersion or cold compresses, remove clothing, offer fluids if if the person is conscious.

Know Yourself

It’s also really important to know your risk factors and make sure you are making the best decisions for your health. Are you on any medications that increase your risk? Do you have conditions that make heat less tolerable or make it more difficult for your body to regulate its temperature?

Once you know your risk factors, think about your limits. At what point does dysregulation kick in for you usually? If you know your limit is 10 minutes, that’s great! 10 minutes still counts. And if you can’t be directly outside, you can still show up! Drive by to honk and wave. If you can, circle around more than once. Play fun music. You could make some signs and grab a friend or two, and have your own car protest driving by! Support from passing cars is so encouraging and really helps with morale.

Or maybe you can be out for a few minutes but not long, and you have some extra pocket money — buy some water or any of the supplies below, and take them out to the protest. You can hand them out directly to people, or drop them off with the Medics or Marshals.

Your health is important, and none of us is going to think less of you or judge you for taking care of yourself.

What’s in my bag What I do:

• The #1 most impactful and important thing I can do for myself is hydrate properly and regularly, not just on protest days. Because I have POTS and chronic migraine, I drink electrolytes daily anyway. In the 2-3 days leading up to a protest, I increase my fluid intake and double my electrolytes. (For the folks worried about my intake, I’ve worked with my health care providers on this.)

• Drink before I feel thirsty. Set a timer if needed. Keep drinking.

• I apply sunblock (50 SPF or higher) on my face and body as usual in the morning, reapply it when I arrive, and reapply it during the event. Sunblock doesn’t work properly unless you reapply it 😉

• While I do wear compression socks and dark colors, I am otherwise in loose clothing that allows air to circulate. Natural fibers like cotton, linen, and even 100% wool are the most breathable and heat-tolerant. If you’re not in summer goth mode, make your way to the lighter-colored clothing in your closet.

• Wear a hat. Some folks recommend a wide-brimmed beach or camping style hat, and I can definitely see why. I wear a standard baseball cap because it works for my needs.

• Sunglasses. Always. They help keep the sun out of my very light-sensitive eyes.

• A salty snack or two with some sugar and protein. I don’t always use them, but I’ve never regretted having them in my bag.

• Hand fans. Any kind. Make one out of paper. Something to move the air.

• Take breaks. At the 6/14 No Kings, I turned on the car, left the door open so I wouldn’t get too chilled, and sat in the AC for a few minutes when I realized nothing else was helping. It cooled me down, and I was good to go again. If you need to sit in the car or under a tree or wherever you find a cooler spot — do it!

• I used to bring a misting spray bottle, but I lost it. I’m getting another.

What I plan to try this weekend:

• Neck fan

• Wet washcloth on the neck (for the fan to blow on!)

• We’re also adding popsicles, more electrolytes, and regular fans hooked up to a battery to our cooling tent

What people on the Internet suggest:

• Umbrella/parasol (I always bring one, but I gotta be honest, I’ve never used it this way 😂)

• A specially-made wet neck wrap

• Body ice packs/vests

• Clothes especially made to be cooling (I haven’t had much luck here, but a lot of folks find them very helpful!)

• Dumping water on your head and/or attending with your hair still wet, and rewetting it whenever it dries (I’m not entirely sure this would work here given how much humidity we have, but I guess it’s worth a shot!)

What our Medics recommend:

• In addition to loose clothing, fishing shirts are also a good option. They have long sleeves and are usually vented and made of a material to encourage evaporation. Sometimes they’re made of UV-blocking material too.

• Keffiyehs and Panama hats are good options for head covers.

• Camel backs can be a game changer for water intake.

• Check out the event’s cooling station. They usually have items like water, ice, ice packs, cooling towels, umbrellas, and sunblock. They can also pull in the event Medic(s) quickly if you need assistance.

• Be careful with ice water. “Room temp” is less stressful on the body to digest when it’s hot, but once your drink is hot, toss and refill it.

• If you’re overheating, remove your shoes and socks, and then pour cool water on your feet to help your body regulate.

🎤 Over to you. What’s useful for you in the summer heat?

When I first started drafting this the night of the No Kings protest on June 14, I was furious. Thankfully, decades of organizing have taught me not to pop off at the mouth publicly when I feel like that, because it usually shuts down any chance of getting through to people and just creates a bigger mess. A little reflection before reaction can go a long way.

So now, I’m going to get straight to the point: If you don’t like the way the movement is doing things — get in the tent and work with us. The revolution is never not ever going to look exactly the way you want it to, and if you wait until it does, you’re going to be waiting forever. Is there room for critique? Absolutely. Constructive criticism is generative. Shitting on the coalition movement for internet clout is destructive and antithetical to who you say you are, and what you claim to value and want.

I got home around 11 p.m. after the No Kings protest. I had left the house 12 hours prior. It was a long, exhilarating, exhausting day. And I did what so many of us do when we get home: I changed clothes, grabbed a drink, pet the cats, and sat down to mindlessly scroll on my phone for a little bit. At first, scrolling was fun. There were videos from around the country, lots of folks sharing their experiences — for so many, their very first experience taking action. If your gut reaction to that is, “about time” or “what took them so long” or similar, I get it, I’ve felt it too, and I invite you to sit in the discomfort of realizing we haven’t been able to reach them before over the noise of this country’s capitalist propaganda machine and the near-constant infighting and policing each other on the left.

But, as they say, I built my FYP brick-by-brick, and it quickly started showing me videos from leftist creators calling the protests performative, critiquing the playful signs, the "shady" leaderless nature of our movement, relationship with cops, and more. My first instinct was to scream. My second instinct was to listen so I could find where I might have gaps in understanding. After doing that, I wanted to scream again. So now that I’ve sat with it for a week, let’s get into it.

50501 is a decentralized movement

As a decentralized social movement, there’s a very limited hierarchy, and authority is distributed. Decision-making is spread across states and local groups instead of being concentrated at or controlled from the top.

While we do share some resources — like national dates, some coalition partners, some trainings, social media boosting by way of sharing each other’s events — each state and local group runs a little differently and pretty much does their own thing. There’s no big pot of money, no staff, no administration, and no shadow group pulling strings.

We’re used to questions and conversations like what I was seeing online, but usually more so from folks on the right.

For example, at our local No Kings event, a man in Trump gear was “just asking questions”. In addition to a lot of the usual talking points, he wanted to know who was funding it. I stood near him listening for a bit before I turned and answered him.

Me: “I am.”

Him: “What?”

Me: “I’m funding this action today. I’m one of the organizers.”

Him: “No I mean who is funding it, not who is organizing it. Funding and organizing are different.”

Me: “That’s my point. No one is funding it but us.”

He got bored pretty quickly after that and left with his buddies.

Across-the-board, we are all volunteers, and most of us have jobs, school, family and kid responsibilities, health needs, and all of the regular life stuff everyone has to manage.

Other decentralized groups you might be familiar with include Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Black Lives Matter, Arab Spring, and Occupy Wall Street.

Or, to repurpose a common saying: If you’ve interacted with one 50501 person or group, you’ve interacted with one 50501 person or group.

So, what is “National”?

Maybe you’ve heard a 50501 organizer or community member refer to “national” or you’re curious who is behind the main social media, website, etc.

The answer? A bunch of state liaisons — or representatives — in a trench coat.

I’m so serious right now. “National” refers to a group of liaisons who represent each state to each other. They bring state issues to each other, and share information back to the states. They don’t have control — they have communication and coordination responsibilities, and ultimately, they defer to their state groups.

What about the big tent?

We’re run locally by busy humans who make mistakes and definitely don’t always agree. The big tent is built on a unifying belief in upholding the Constitution and ending executive overreach — and that this current administration is a danger to us all.

Look a layer deeper, and our big tent is full of folks from almost all parts of the political spectrum. From disenchanted Republicans to liberals and moderates and every flavor of actual leftist to folks who don’t identify with anything. This is the nature of the big tent. And some states are more progressive than others. Here in the south for example, a lot of our organizers are further left than organizers in blue states because organizing in the south is different, and living in a red state has pushed us more left as individuals.

And this is why we are drawing the crowds we’re drawing. It’s not partisan. It’s not “my political ideology is better than yours” (don’t at me, we all do it).

It’s not perfect.

Perfectionism is a tool of white supremacy. Decolonize that ish.

• Did I have feelings about all of the flags on No Kings day? Absofuckinglutely. But I understand optics and marketing, and the flags and fun signs (even the ones that make me cringe) are meaningful to people. And making meaning is a useful tool.

• Do I wish organizers in some other states were less seemingly-cozy with their law enforcement and weren’t out there thanking them at the end of events? Of course. And. I also don’t like seeing protestors get beat up and gassed and treated like shit, and I do think we can build a bigger coalition and a lot more solidarity if we can get law enforcement to understand they are working class too (there’s a lot more to this, so please apply some nuance).

• Am I sick and tired of all things “kings” when it comes to names? Sure am. But at the end of the day, the people like it, and I’m here in service to liberation of us all so if using that damn word gets people a step closer — so be it.

• Do I share frustration and concern at the online registrations? Yup. We make the events for purposes of having a central location where people can find information. Registration is never required.

• Do I also sometimes just want to scream and fight and escalate? I’m not clueless enough to say so on the Internet, but I feel the rage, the injustice, the helplessness — the same as I believe you do — and I also understand that using only that tactic has unintended consequences and actively harms the most vulnerable people in our communities.

I’ve been organizing for long enough to remember when climate activists and anti-war comrades were being snatched off the street, never to be seen again. I’ve been arrested — intentionally and not — and gassed and pelted with rubber bullets. I’ve held the line and also been pushed into weird and scary situations by law enforcement. I know the scent of fear, and that energy shift right before everything goes upside-down. And I share that to get through to you that I’m writing from experience, not complacency.

And as much as we’ve resisted that way for so long — we’re still here. Right now. In this moment. I’m not saying resisting in those ways doesn’t work or that there isn’t a time or place for it, because there is. I’m saying this moment is also demanding us to move in different ways. We need to bring in more folks to the movement, and protests like what have been happening this year are an entry point. They are not the be all, end all, and aren’t intended to be.

Also, if you think the national days have no demands, you aren’t paying attention. They are clearly listed on the websites, on mobilize, and should also be part of the actions (which you refuse to attend because they aren’t done how you want them to be, so I guess you wouldn’t see or hear them there…).

We need to do the dishes.

What I am saying is we need to be more open on the left to learning and using tools that are different instead of frothing at the mouth to “do a revolution”. We need to understand that every toolbox has multiple tools for a reason, and revolution without community care harms the people and communities who are already most at-risk.

We need to stop policing each other (acting like cops towards each other isn’t very ACAB anyway) so we can work together and build a broader coalition with folks who also want a lot of the same things we want, but they don’t have the theory or language for it. Often because they’ve been doing it instead of reading and theorizing and pontificating on the Internet for clout. I’m not shitting on intellectualism here, but intellectualism without action is missing the point. I’m also not saying we shouldn’t pontificate on the Internet (um, hi from my Internet soapbox). I am saying that can’t be the sum total of it. We must do the dishes.

Doing the dishes includes:

• Connecting with organizations that have already established their roots and are already doing the work to support our community in the areas being attacked by this administration

• Building or supporting focused community networks: mutual aid, direct action, bill tracking, rapid response to ICE, sit-ins, and more

• Taking care of ourselves and our communities. Not in a “take a bath hehe self care” way, but in a genuine way that is based on connection and presence

• Attending actions, even if they are “too peaceful” or “too parade-y” or whatever, and talking to people (and recruiting them!)

• Meeting people where they are

And so much more.

De-centralization of the 50501 movement helps us avoid being at the whims of one person’s vision, helps us avoid some of the “cut off the head and the movement disappears” risk, creates a relational movement where we are taking collective responsibility — and allows state and local organizers to not only be more efficient by not duplicating efforts, it allows us to be more flexible as we tailor our efforts to the needs of our local communities.

At the end of the day, for any liberation movement to work, we need multiple tools doing multiple things. If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If your only tool is getting beat up by the cops, everything else looks like “not good enough”. Expand your toolkit. We need collective action and more tactics. We talk about how there are roles in the revolution, yet some leftists seem to want everyone throwing bricks. Cmon now.

Get comfortable being around people and working with them even if you don’t fully agree with them. As long as they aren’t denying your humanity or the humanity of others, we can all fit in the tent. If you want people to agree with every single thing you say and do, join an evangelical church. Purity politics don’t help us do or be better.

So if you’ve got a complaint about the movement — cool. Us too. Get in the tent, and let’s figure it out together so we can fight arm-in-arm.

See you in the tent and in the streets ✊

PS: https://www.stopice.net/

50501 SC volunteer organizers have planned and held dozens of Constitutionally-protected protests, rallies, marches, and sign-waving demonstrations across the state this year. We remain committed to the values of non-violence.

But what, exactly, is non-violence?

Let’s start with a definition from the Center for Peacemaking:

Widespread recognition of the fight-or-flight response has popularized passivity (flight) and violent opposition (fight) as the two responses to a threat. However, there is another way to respond: active nonviolence.

The flight response, though not violent, avoids addressing the threat. Flight thus can appear as submission, passivity, withdrawal, or surrender. The fight response meets violence with violence and can appear as direct retaliation, revenge, armed revolt, or violent rebellion.

The way of active nonviolence (creative engagement) is a third way to respond. Contrary to images of passivity the word “nonviolence” may conjure, nonviolence is an active response that directly addresses the threat and has the power to transform opponents into allies. Active nonviolence can appear as noncooperation, intervention, self-suffering, protest and the creation of alternative systems.

Non-violence, then, is strategic. It is an action. It is not always comfortable and is often disruptive. But disruption is not violence.

How do we maintain active non-violence at events?

There’s a lot happening behind-the-scenes before any of us ever show up to an action.

50501-organized events in our state are created in collaboration with a group of fellow volunteer organizers statewide. We meet regularly, we share tips and best practices, we talk out scenarios, we brainstorm — and we laugh, a lot.

But the local level is where the rubber meets the road.

At the local level, volunteer organizers are working with volunteer activists to put on these actions and events. We all go through several layers of training, from OpSec and InfoSec to De-Escalation (101, 201, 301… there’s always more to learn) and specific trainings for various roles like marshals, medics, and more. And for national days of action, there are more trainings specific to that event’s theme and current events.

Aside from the trainings, these volunteer teams are also in frequent communication with other local groups, local government workers, and yes, law enforcement. We speak to the media and lawyers and the ACLU. We prepare for worst-case scenarios.

In the days leading up to the event and the day of, we pre-check event sites and march routes. We make sure we are hydrating, we double-check our supplies and refill anything that’s running low (out of our own pockets because unlike that tiresome rumor claims, we’re volunteers and we don’t get paid). We check in with our local teams and make sure everyone has the training, information, and supplies they need.

We focus on de-escalation before the event ever starts by doing things like we did this week — responding to a potential escalation from the AG with a statement and various press interviews reiterating our commitments — and by responding to emails, texts, social media messages and comments to answer questions and address any potential issues before they become issues. We communicate.

During the event, every person on the team has a role. While the roles are different — some people are responsible for water distribution, some for music or chants, some for keeping the agenda moving, some for making sure no one gets left behind during a march, some for medical needs, some for taking photos and videos, and so on — every person in every role is focused on the safety of attendees. We are each responsible for de-escalation and for keeping watch for potential issues. And we’ve all been trained on how to do it.

This is, in part, how we’ve pulled off dozens of actions across the state on the same day, multiple times this year, without incident.

The other key to maintaining non-violence is our community. You, the people who attend our actions, understand the goal is to raise awareness, to disrupt, to make a statement. And it’s fairly well-known by now: we have zero tolerance for hate or actions that instigate violence. That’s not a judgment on people who engage in direct action, to be clear — active nonviolence and direct action are both tools in the liberation toolkit. At 50501, our tool is active nonviolence.

But what if there’s violence?

After six months of non-violent protests across the state multiple times each month, we firmly believe if there is any escalation or violence at 50501 SC No Kings events this weekend — it will come from agitators emboldened by AG Wilson’s statements or through outside actors looking to cause trouble.

Saturday’s event attendance is expected to be massive. Possibly the largest single-day of protest so far this year. We need everyone to make a personal commitment to not engage with anyone who is attempting to escalate you, to avoid any planted materials like piles of bricks or rocks (we do check for these ahead of the events) — DO NOT TOUCH PILES LIKE THIS — and to keep an eye on yourself and each other.

If you see something suspicious, if someone is asking odd questions, if you get that uneasy feeling: calmly find a member of the volunteer team and tell them.

Organizers are prepared to give attendees instructions on safety plans and what to do if things escalate this weekend. As each event is different, please be prepared for those instructions at the beginning of your local event.

See you in the streets, South Carolina ✊

Local Republican lawmakers around the state are also making similar claims, and some are going so far as to ask their followers to report lawful protests to the police.

Let us be clear:

These claims are unfounded. There are no credible reports of this nature from 50501 SC or any of our partner organizations, and the AG and other representatives have not provided any basis for their claims.

Like so many of you, members of 50501 SC and our partner organizations have been closely watching the events unfolding in Los Angeles and other cities around the country.

We’ve seen community members disappeared by supposed ICE agents (though this is hard to substantiate given many of these supposed agents are not wearing any identifying markers, coordinated uniforms, or any way of determining whether they are even law enforcement). We’ve seen nonviolent protestors tear-gassed by law enforcement, and we see an administration hell bent on instigating violence for an excuse to illegally send in an occupying military force.

50501 SC volunteer organizers have planned and held dozens of Constitutionally-protected protests, rallies, marches, and sign-waving demonstrations across the state this year. We are a non-violent movement, and we remain committed to the values of non-violence.

We do not know of any threats or plans of violence this weekend. If there are actually any credible reports, they aren’t from 50501 or our partner organizations.

We encourage people across the state of South Carolina to find a 50501, No Kings, or Kick Out The Clowns event happening near them this weekend and make a plan to attend.

Our dissent must be loud and it must be clear.

Seeing how the federal government is responding to events across the country, we also encourage community members to attend de escalation trainings and learn the best ways to protect themselves while protesting.

It is essential that we continue standing up to lawless authoritarians who shred our Constitution, attack our communities, and ignore the rule of law.

They fear our momentum and they cannot conceive of what a peaceful movement of millions can accomplish.

We will not give in to fear, and we will not be cowed by threats.

See you Saturday.