A Message to Iowa’s Protesters
Analyzing Modern Social Political Protest Movements
Exploring their downfalls to avoid the same pitfalls
by Sondra Wilson. Written July 12, 2025.
In light of the numerous protests going on around central Iowa this year, such as the student-led DEI-removal protests at Iowa State University, State Capitol protests against the removal of transgender people from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, Ames Visibility Brigade protests, Hands Off! protests, #NoKings protests, and others all around the state, first I want to say thank you for using your First Amendment rights to speak up against the color of law crimes and acts of extortion coming out of our state and federal governments, and I would like to thank the Veterans for helping to protect our right to speak up about these important issues.
I suspect that many young people today are not aware that many of the current protests are sort of piggybacked off a series of protests which happened over the course of the past 15 years or so, going back to Occupy Wall Street. During my travels, I participated in and/or observed more than one protest movement. Due to the fact that several protests were infiltrated and undermined, or mismanaged, I’m writing this article to share key insights. After presenting key takeaways from each of the protest movements I’m covering in this article (I may add more in the future), I will explain how my campaign for Governor and lawsuits are built in a manner so as to avoid the same pitfalls which befell these movements. Additionally, I think it is very important for Iowans participating in current protests to read this article in order to also avoid the same pitfalls, and to avoid resource burnout, which I fear Iowa’s protestors will suffer if we do not take these things into account. Due to the fact that we are having vital resources cut off, it is crucial for us to use the few resources we do have wisely.
How I ended up at protest movements
As many who follow my work are aware, I have a unique backstory particularly relevant to Iowa’s current political dialogue. After naturally developing intersex characteristics around puberty, I sought medical treatment around age 23. This was unheard of back in the 90s, as it was not the political topic it has become now. Gender identity had not yet been added to the Iowa Civil Rights Act, and for many years I became estranged from friends and family after seeking medical care. Upon returning to Iowa in 2006, I was repeatedly arrested under false pretenses by the same officer in Ames, Iowa. In 2009, after being falsely accused of assaulting a woman whose own witness told the truth in court and said I never touched her, Judge Van Marel decided to find me guilty regardless of multiple character testimonies in my favor. After the trial, I received an off-the-record warning from a different Ames police officer to “leave the state for my safety”. So, between 2009 and 2018, I happened to attend several protest encampments, and learned a lot of information while “on-the-ground” which I wouldn’t have been able to learn had I only viewed remotely.
The Four Movements
The Occupy Movement (2011-2012): Due to the fact that more than 10 million Americans lost their homes, many of the protest encampments were done on public property because people had nowhere else to go. This is why the strategic legal term “occupy” was used to describe what people were doing on taxpayer-funded public lands. Essentially the message was, “The financial elite created this situation and financially gained from it. Don’t punish us. Hold them accountable. Meanwhile, since we can’t be in our homes and have nowhere to go, we’ll go onto public property,” was the general message. Thus, the purpose was to shine a spotlight on how, through insider trading, “the 1%” gamed the stock market in their favor, at the expense of the American people. The rallying cry: “We are the 99%!” Although Occupy began as a robust, energetic movement, eventually public encampments became less sanitary, and financially the movement could not sustain. In 2012 police began to forcibly clear encampments around the country. While impactful in raising awareness about economic inequality and corporate influence, the movement is often considered to have “failed” due to a lack of clear leadership, defined demands, and sustained organization. Despite sparking important conversations and inspiring future movements, Occupy struggled to translate its momentum into concrete political or policy changes (Ehrenberg 2017)… FULL ARTICLE.
Black Lives Matter Protests (2013-2020): The Black Lives Matter movement, though initially a powerful and widespread outcry against systemic racism and police violence, was systematically undermined through calculated media manipulation and narrative distortion. Peaceful protests were repeatedly overshadowed by isolated incidents of property damage, often provoked by infiltrators like the “Umbrella Man,” whose actions were later linked to white supremacist groups aiming to incite chaos and discredit the movement. This shift in coverage—from highlighting calls for justice to painting protesters as violent “rioters”—provided justification for militarized police crackdowns and eroded public support. The final blow came with the contrasting portrayals of Jacob Blake, a Black man shot seven times in the back by police, and Kyle Rittenhouse, a white teenager who killed two protesters and was celebrated as a hero by right-wing media. This stark double standard revealed how easily justice movements could be co-opted and silenced by twisting facts, reframing narratives, and glorifying vigilantism, ultimately weakening the movement’s impact and momentum… FULL ARTICLE.
The Bernie Sanders Movement (2015-2016): Bernie Sanders’ movement ultimately faltered due to a combination of systemic pushback, strategic missteps, and deeply ingrained public fears. While he energized millions with bold proposals like Medicare for All and a progressive tax plan targeting the ultra-wealthy, his failure to outline a clear transition for workers in industries that would be disrupted—particularly the private health insurance sector—left his policies vulnerable to attack. Framing himself as a “democratic socialist” further alienated moderate and older voters, many of whom equated socialism with authoritarianism and feared for the stability of America’s constitutional republic. Powerful interests, including corporate media and the healthcare lobby, seized on these vulnerabilities, casting him as both unelectable and extreme. Compounding these challenges was the role of then-DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was caught tipping the scales in favor of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Democratic primary. Internal DNC emails released by WikiLeaks revealed that Schultz and top officials coordinated media narratives, questioned Sanders’ religion to hurt him in southern states, and worked to limit debate visibility—tactics clearly designed to undermine his campaign from within. Despite public outrage and her resignation just before the Democratic National Convention, Schultz was never held fully accountable and was immediately hired by the Clinton campaign, reinforcing the perception that the political establishment was rigged against Sanders. Without the institutional backing of the Democratic Party and facing relentless media distortion, Sanders’ message was gradually buried under fear-driven narratives, ultimately halting the momentum of what had once been a revolutionary movement…. FULL ARTICLE.
The #NoDAPL “Stand with Standing Rock” Water Protector Movement (2016-2017): The Water Protector camps at Standing Rock were systematically infiltrated and undermined by a coordinated network of private intelligence firms, law enforcement, and corporate interests working to discredit and dismantle the movement from within. Chief among these was TigerSwan, a private military-style contractor hired by Energy Transfer Partners, which deployed counterinsurgency tactics modeled after those used in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. TigerSwan embedded agents within the camps to gather intelligence, spread disinformation, and sow internal divisions, often exploiting ideological or cultural tensions among activists to fracture unity. Surveillance was conducted via drones, social media monitoring, and undercover operatives, and reports were regularly funneled to local, state, and federal law enforcement. These agencies collaborated with private actors to label Water Protectors as “violent agitators” or “domestic terrorists,” justifying an increasingly militarized response that included rubber bullets, water cannons in subzero temperatures, and mass arrests. At the same time, public relations firms were hired to shape media narratives that framed the camps as dangerous, unsanitary, or lawless, diverting attention from treaty violations and environmental concerns. This multifaceted infiltration campaign—largely hidden from the public eye—crippled internal cohesion, escalated tensions, and ultimately paved the way for the forced evacuation and dismantling of the camps, even as the movement continued through legal and global advocacy… FULL ARTICLE.
conclusion coming soon.