Photo via ABC News
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On February 2nd, 2026, there were over 300 anti-ICE protests across the United States. Tens of thousands of people protested in the streets, boycotted work and school, and, for twenty-four hours, spent no money. This was not the first anti-ICE protest, and it will not be the last. However, with the growing popularity of protests, boycotts, and economic freezes, many people are left wondering whether holding a sign in the streets or not shopping for a day actually makes a difference. The short answer is yes. However, to create the most significant impact, we have to understand why protesting works and how to do it most effectively.
Within the last decade, the number of protests across the United States has increased by roughly 133%. This uptick in protests began when President Donald Trump took office for his first term in 2017. The motives behind these protests have varied, but ultimately, people find themselves fighting time and time again for what seem to be basic human rights. So, let’s break down what makes a good protest and how something simple, like making a sign or reaching out to a friend, can actually generate results.
In an interview with NPR, American political scientist, Erica Chenoweth, breaks down the four components of a successful protest. The first aspect of a successful protest, Chenoweth explains, is size: “a very large protest is much more likely to get noticed” and to “begin to shift people’s understandings about the stakes of an event or a set of claims that are emerging from it.” If a protest is so large that people cannot ignore it, they are more likely to engage, learn, and change. With many current protests circulating on social media, the audience for these movements is broad, generating larger turnouts and greater awareness overall. The second component of a successful protest is diversity. Chenoweth explains that a more diverse crowd “suggests that whatever the protesters are saying is something that’s widely shared.” Just as with the size of the protest, the wider the scope of people affected by an issue, the more traction it will gain.
If an issue affects only one group, it is less likely to spark interest and understanding among others, reducing the protest’s overall scope and power. The third ingredient to a successful protest is discipline—a protest’s ability to stick to its message and plan tactfully. The more disciplined the protest, the more likely it is to elicit a sympathetic response, ultimately leading to greater impact and change. If a protest is unclear about what they are fighting for or against, flip-flops on how they are protesting, or is unorganized, instead of appearing to be a strong, united front fighting for an issue, it appears more like a toddler throwing a tantrum. The final aspect of a successful protest, and what makes up the most effective movements, is those “that begin to shift the loyalties of people in different pillars of support.” This is a sign that a protest is working. In order to have an impactful protest, it must be large, organized, and diverse; once it has those things, people will start to shift their support. The most successful protests are those that draw attention to an issue, clearly state what the problem is and how it affects people, and then allow people to change their perspectives and shift their support to the issue at hand. Knowing that these four components can make or break a protest’s impact, let’s look at some protests that have historically led to significant change and see how they employed these strategies.
The fight for equal rights for African Americans and an end to segregation in the United States gained cultural prominence in the 1960s. The civil rights movement was comprised of many protests, movements, and boycotts that together made substantial advancements in the rights of African Americans across the US. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, as started by Rosa Parks’ refusal to forfeit her bus seat, lasted 13 months, with Montgomery’s African American citizens refusing to use buses. Instead, they walked to work or used other modes of transportation, but no matter what, they did not step foot on a bus. This boycott ultimately led to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Browder v. Gayle (1956) that the “separate but equal” policy implemented on buses was unconstitutional. This ruling essentially overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), creating an impact larger than buses and affecting segregationist policy nationwide. So, what aspects of the Montgomery Bus Boycott made it successful? When we look at the four necessary qualities for a protest to be successful, this boycott may not have hit every single one, but it fulfilled enough to create a lasting impact and change. The scope of the boycott certainly contributed to its effectiveness. With a citywide boycott, the busing system lost a significant portion of its customers, making it impossible to ignore. Additionally, this boycott was disciplined and specific. From the very start, the focus was clear: to end racial segregation on public buses. By not spreading this boycott to every instance of segregation in the South, the boycott’s effect was more visible, and it was more attainable for people to participate. Overall, this large, disciplined, and specific boycott led to change beyond buses.
Another successful civil rights protest was the 1963 March on Washington. This march, which included Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, was the pinnacle of a decades-long fight for racial equality in the US. “On August 28, 1963, more than a quarter million people participated in the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, gathering near the Lincoln Memorial.” This protest, coupled with decades of lobbying and countless additional protests and strikes, led to the long-fought-for Civil Rights Act of 1964 being signed into law, closely followed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Both of these laws cemented the civil rights and freedoms of African Americans in the United States, demonstrating the payoff for the ongoing struggle. While it is hard to capture every protest and movement of the fight for civil rights, ultimately, the Civil Rights Movement was so large, lasted for so long, and was so powerful that, over time, people were influenced to join the fight. Whether that be because they were convinced by the movement, or simply because they were made aware of the realities of the situation they were living in, does not matter; in the end, all that matters is that these countless protests were powerful enough to convince people to join together and fight for what was right.
Sometimes, to be effective, protestors need to be creative. This was evident to a great extent in the Suffragette movement as women fought for their right to vote. While boycotts, marches, and walkouts are highly effective, as seen from the Civil Rights Movement, sometimes, different strategies must be employed. After decades of reasoning, logic, and polite appeals to their government, women in the United States realized that they needed a new plan. Some of the new, outside-of-the-box ideas used by suffragettes included aerial “bombings” in which“activists chartered a hot air balloon from which suffrage buttons were dropped to onlookers below”(McGee, 2025); wearing specific colors, such as yellow or white; and even burning books and speeches written by President Woodrow Wilson that used the words “freedom” or “democracy”(McGee, 2025). While these approaches did not fit within the traditional blueprint of protests, they were ultimately effective, with the 19th Amendment securing women the right to vote passed in 1920. Regardless of the specific methods used to protest, they checked many of the boxes of a successful protest, seeing their hard work pay off.
While there has been an uptick in protests since the initial election of President Trump in 2016, one of the largest protests since Trump’s initial inauguration began in October of 2025—the No Kings Protest. On October 8th, 2025, an estimated 7 million Americans participated in the No Kings Day protest, fighting against the Trump administration and President Trump’s harsh regime.Political science research shows that when 3.5 percent of a nation’s population mobilizes in peaceful protest at a key moment, it becomes extremely difficult for the government to ignore the people’s calls for transformative change. 7 million people does not quite make up 3.5 percent of the United States population, but this large number demonstrates the reach of this movement and the power of the American people. This protest also included “People of all ages, races, economic statuses, and other backgrounds, including veterans and religious leaders.” Additionally, while the scope of this protest may be broader than what has historically been successful, such as women’s right to vote, the message seems pretty clear from the name itself. This movement is a fight against President Trump and his authoritarian practices and actions in the United States. While this encompasses many different issues, the overall theme is clear: No Kings, Trump out. The No Kings Protest was made up of peaceful protests across all 50 states. These protests reached “even further into conservative communities.” The No Kings Protest checks every box necessary for a successful movement.
Finally, a newer movement has emerged within the last couple of months, the anti-ICE movement. Beginning toward the start of Trump’s second presidential term, these protests have swelled following ICE’s involvement in Minnesota, including the death of two American citizens while protesting, and countless others who have died while in ICE facilities. On February 2nd, tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest ICE, declaring a spending freeze for the day and boycotting work and school. This occurred across more than 300 protests across the United States, pushing representatives and lawmakers to abolish ICE. While this protest may be smaller than the No Kings Day protest, it is only gaining momentum and, just as with the No Kings Day movement, will continue to grow. Following these protests, Americans saw relatively quick, tangible results, motivating people to keep going as they saw their hard work begin to bring about real change. For example, in early February, the House of Representatives voted to end the partial government shutdown, with the stipulation of “a stopgap measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security,” which funds ICE. Another small glimmer of hope following these protests is the whispers of an impeachment of Kristi Noem, the head of the Department of Homeland Security. While little is known about the reality of this action, more and more lawmakers have spoken out against Noem and the possibility of an impeachment.
There are ways to measure and quantify the success of a protest, and there are many chances to feel despair and want to give up in today’s world. But, as the famous phrase goes, “History repeats itself,” and we have a chance to decide which parts repeat. We can replay an authoritarian regime of power-hungry hatred, or we can see the success of people joining together to fight for what is right, through protests, boycotts, and movements at large. What we are doing works; we see it in history, and we are seeing it today. Calling your representatives to employ them to make the right decisions and vote according to what their constituents want works (how to call your representatives). Showing up in the streets with signs works. Boycotting large brands and corporations works. Let history repeat itself positively; show up, fight for what is right, and leave a lasting impact on the world that we live in.
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This article was edited by Isabella Ruiz and Sofia Downes.
Cooper Toland 
Glenmarie Rios Rodriguez 
Domenick Fedele