The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell Ali Velshi: History has shown us what can happen when the people show up
Mar 28, 2026
Aaron David Miller, Middle East policy expert and former Arab-Israeli negotiator. Robert Reich, former U.S. labor secretary and economic commentator. Leah Greenberg, organizer and cofounder of Indivisible. They discuss nationwide No Kings protests, historical power of mass demonstrations, protest tactics and joyful resistance, the risks of U.S. escalation with Iran, and the political fallout shaping local races.
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Mass Protests Precede Major Policy Change
- Ali Velshi argues major reforms follow mass public action, citing Triangle Shirtwaist, 1963 March on Washington, 1970 Earth Day, and the 1990 Capitol Crawl as catalysts for laws and institutions.
- Each event showed people 'showed up' without permission and forced legislative change like 36 NY labor laws, Civil Rights advances, EPA and major environmental laws, and the ADA.
Show Up To Build Organizing Muscle
- Leah Greenberg says showing up builds political courage and translates into concrete follow-up: organizing, mobilizing, and voter turnout for midterms.
- She emphasizes solidarity from large protests converts participants into local organizers who will 'get out the vote.'
Use Joy And Humor As Defensive Tactics
- Leah Greenberg highlights joy and humor as tactical defenses against authoritarian narratives that portray protesters as violent.
- Example: inflatable animal costumes in Portland reframed protests as nonthreatening and undercut government claims of violence.