We Can Push Back Now
Clatter in the Capital: Turning Pots and Pans into a Neighborhood Shield
When the Sirens Come
When ICE or police roll into a neighborhood, the air changes. People close their blinds. Conversations stop. Fear fills the silence. But silence helps them. Noise—loud, unmissable, and unified—can help us. There were hundreds of people yelling at the a police check point on 14th Street in DC - but it didn’t make an impact. That’s where the cacerolazo comes in.
The Power of a Cacerolazo
A cacerolazo—literally, a “pots and pans protest”—is a simple, nonviolent act with deep roots around the world. Residents bang on metal cookware from their windows, balconies, or in the streets, creating a wall of sound that says, we see you, we’re together, and we won’t be quiet.
It’s more than just noise. It’s a signal. It tells neighbors something is happening. It tells those in power they are being watched. And it tells the media—and anyone listening—that the community will not be silent in the face of intimidation.
Why It Works
Fast, Loud, and Local – The sound travels quickly, alerting everyone nearby.
Nonviolent but Unignorable – No confrontation, no escalation, but impossible to ignore.
Builds Solidarity – Everyone who joins in knows they’re not alone. That’s powerful in moments designed to make people feel isolated.
Media-Friendly – A coordinated burst of noise is visually and sonically compelling. It draws attention without putting individuals at unnecessary legal risk.
How to Use It in D.C. and Beyond
If ICE or police start doing neighborhood actions, we can prepare now:
1. Set the Signal
Agree as a block or building: three quick bangs followed by a steady rhythm means “come to your windows and join in.”
2. Spread the Word
Use flyers, text chains, WhatsApp groups—anything that reaches your neighbors fast. Keep instructions clear and simple.
3. Practice Before You Need It
Hold a short “noise drill” once a month so everyone knows the rhythm and feels confident participating.
4. Link to Support
Coordinate with local legal observers, mutual aid groups, and immigrant rights organizations so they’re ready when the sound goes up.
5. Keep It Peaceful
This is about sound and solidarity, not direct confrontation. The strength is in the volume and the unity.
Here is A Cacerolazo Activist Handbook:
Really inspiring. Banging on pots and pans has a long history that crosses political lines. It was used by conservative Chilean woman in the lead up to the coup that overthrew Salvador Allende, and in the demonstrations in the Philippines that overthrew the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. As Robinson points out, it seems a really useful tactic for our times, particularly for responding powerfully to ICE raids while minimizing the risk of arrest.
I love it. I have suggested that the social ostracism of people falling silent and staring, withdrawing indoors and flipping shop signs to say "closed" until the ICE gang passes by would apply the kind of exclusion and disapproval pressure that we are all (ICE too) wired to feel, but really this very opposite response adds the fact that loud sounds are in fact assaulting (EG Noriega) yet viewed as non-violent and the sort of thing ICE would be unlikely to have (ear) protection against, at first. Soon, they would come with ear plugs but then be unable to hear to coordinate. They could acquire ear phones with their enormous budget, but that would take time. My main concern would be the hearing of the protestors. Let's make sure they all know to wear ear plugs!