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Introduction:

The third “No Kings”[1] protest is now behind us. Even before it occurred, and certainly after it, sectarian critics on the left have continued to denounce it. Here are some of the more frequently heard examples (in no particular order):

The protests are controlled opposition;
The protests “sheepdog” or funnel the attendees (back) into the Democratic Party establishment;
The protests are purely performative;
The protests have no clear objectives or demands;
The protesters are predominantly “middle class” (i.e. bourgeois) “liberals”;
The protesters will just return to “having brunch” once the protests are over;
Nonviolence just a form of white privilege;
The Protests just funnel demonstrators back into electoralism;
Protests aren’t enough; more organized, militant action is needed;
The protests are a start, but they’ll amount to nothing without real organizing.

In truth, such arguments are nothing new. I’ve been a militant, radical organizer for well over 32 years, and I speak from experience: such claims from sectarian leftist critics of them are as stale and hackneyed as the critics accuse the mass protests of being.

Why does this keep happening? While the sectarian critics will stubbornly and obstinately claim that the reason is because their criticisms are correct and “nobody listens to them”, or “the liberals keep co-opting them”, I’m convinced the critics are dead wrong, and are stuck in a codependent feedback loop which actually makes it harder for them to realize the goals they allegedly seek.

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Article by That Green Union Guy; image created by David Solnit

Here are some not entirely comprehensive, not particularly ideally organized thoughts on energy transition, climate change, decarbonization, and just transition in California for March 2026.

I. Refinery Closures:

Another refinery in California (in the Bay Area, specifically), is closing. The aforementioned is the Valero refinery in Benicia (across Carquinez Strait from Martinez). Here is a link to the article in the Guardian.
Another refinery in Southern California (Phillips 66) is closing
There are discussions of just transition for the workers and communities, but political support for these from the State of California is spotty at best;
The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) is doing everything they can to blame environmentalists, community activists, and delay the inevitable (and trying to pit workers—whom they actually care little about, except where they can be used as political pawns or tools—against the former);
WSPA and the corporations are engaging in a mass PR blitz to push their false narrative, including sponsoring poster boards strategically placed at gas pumps at practically every gas station in CA, as well as a blitz of advertisements on TV and digital platforms;
There are studies, such as this one conducted at Stanford University) that debunk the claims, but challenging the aforementioned well-funded PR blitz is an uphill battle.

II. Polluter Pays

There is a grassroots mobilization, and an ongoing campaign, to try an pressure the California government to enact a “polluter pays” measure (one that would charge extractive corporations, such as those represented by WSPA, excess profits taxes and other fees) that would include funds for just transition;
This is part of a growing, nationwide effort;
This has enormous potential to draw in the vast support for the “No Kings” / resistance to MAGA fascism and authoritarianism, as described here.

No Kings and far too Many Strawmen

Introduction:

Some Thoughts on Green Unionism for March 2026

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