For Americans, doing the protest is an end in itself. They’re a way for comfortable white liberals to telegraph that they’re “on the right side” and “the good ones” so that they can return to doing nothing after a few hours of waving signs around and posting photos.

There is never any plan to escalate, never any thought to what happens if their demands aren’t met. The US does parades. Bring the kids, it’ll be fun- you can LARP participation in democracy.