this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2025
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At this stage it's more about proving we can organise, rather than actually denting anyone's profits or inconveniencing ourselves. Let's all agree not to buy anything on this one day, as a first step. Next we'll organise not buying on two days. Then maybe a week. Then steadily ramp it up until we're noticed and they start doing something about it.
Refusing to participate on the grounds that it isn't the perfect solution is short-sighted.
Less an issue of "refusing to participate" and more a question of "what am I participating in?"
People who are enthusiastic about participating in a bigger organizing project still have a limited amount of resources - time, money, physical energy - to expend. Part of any organizational campaign is to connect with people and channel their efforts efficiently. Another part is highlighting your accomplishments such that participants feel rewarded and are enthusiastic about the next effort.
What did the Feb 28th "No Buy Day" accomplish? Who participated? Who benefited? What is there to brag about? Why would I want to participate again in the future? Who am I even coordinating with in the future?
I'll raise a counterpoint. Was at a pro-choice march in my home town years back. I got to meet other activists. I got to spend time with friends. I got to see how many people in my town were enthusiastic supporters of women's rights. All of that was productive and affirming, even (perhaps especially) in the face of Roe's repeal and the Trump electoral win. I got to meet other people and talk to them and plan out future volunteer efforts.
I didn't get any of that out of this movement. I didn't see people picketing outside retail stores or championing any explicit cause. I didn't see any efforts to confront protesters or any concessions made by business. I only knew one person, personally, who was actively participating and even she conceded she was just going with the flow and didn't have any expectations or know anyone else who was doing this.
This isn't an issue of perfection, its an issue of community and effort building. If there's a large cohort of activists who got in on this and are stronger for it, great! But I didn't see it anywhere in my neighborhood.
Oh I didn't refuse to participate, and I still encourage any effort we can manage, but these "don't buy anything on X days" concepts are themselves just deeply flawed. Don't buy anything for a week? Alright so either I just don't eat for a week, or I'm only offsetting purchases to before and after. It still doesn't make a dent. If your protest doesn't hurt the corpos, they don't care. Showing we can organize is great, but iterating on this format can't be the end goal.