Will the TikTok Ban Impact Collective Action?
Leaders at the People’s March provide insight, hours before the TikTok is slated to go dark.
By Carolyn Gevinski
Foley Square, New York — A collective of people from all walks of life gathered early this morning, unbridled by the biting cold and rolling clouds overhead, to join the People’s March in New York City. The crowd sported faces old and young, many holding signs with a melange of messages: “Trans Rights Over Cis Comfort,” “My Body, My Choice,” “Immigration Makes America Great,” and “Healthcare 4 All,” to name a few.
The congregation glared brazenly up at two of New York City’s courthouse buildings on the eve of Monday's inauguration ceremony for President-elect Donald Trump. The People’s March, which was originally called the “Women’s March,” was held to advocate for a multitude of goals in the face of the incoming administration—racial justice, women’s rights and reproductive freedom, economic justice, climate justice, freedom from gun violence, and solidarity with trans and queer youth.
While speakers from local groups like the Freedom Socialist Party, Planned Parenthood New York, and Gays Against Guns each proclaimed distinct intersectional messages, many of their speeches carried a common thread—that they would not be silenced.
Today’s protest coincided with a week of uncertainty around a potential ban of the social media app, TikTok, which has helped organizers of events like the People’s March coordinate movements over the past five years since the app’s rise in popularity in 2020.
“I was scrolling last night, and I was like ‘Oh, there’s a People’s March protest!’” said Henry Rudvin, an 18-year-old from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, who found out about today’s action through TikTok.
“I think without a platform like TikTok,” he continued, citing the millions of users on the app, “you’re cutting off a whole wave of smaller civil rights groups who put out their platforms and speak.”
People’s March at Foley Square (Carolyn Gevinski)
The fate of TikTok relies on whether President-elect Trump will uphold Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that has left TikTok open to a ban if its owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell off its U.S. branch by tomorrow.
The potential ban follows a bill passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in April, which would grant the US government the ability to ban foreign-owned apps that they see as a threat to national security. If the court upholds the law, TikTok’s operations in the U.S. will shut down, and the 170 million American users will eventually lose access.
Trump, who originally tried to ban the app in his first term as president, is now considering an executive order to suspend the ban’s enforcement for two to three months.
Over the last week, creators across the app have mourned the cultural impact of TikTok, especially communities that were built on the app during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many were quarantining indoors. Some have created videos spouting their theories and opinions about why TikTok is “really” being banned, including accusations of xenophobia and censorship of intercultural dialogue.
“For me, the banning of an app in the US is a terrifying step in the direction of silencing our citizens,” said Emily Claire, host of the 2025 People’s March in New York. “The government cannot alter information once it’s been posted, meaning they can no longer control the narrative. They are not concerned about our safety, this is censorship.”
“Sharing relevant, non-biased resources is vital for the success of any protest,” Claire added.
When asked if a TikTok ban would affect the impact of a march, Claire replied that she believes turn-out would be down and the attendees of the march’s organization would be affected.
People’s March at Foley Square (Carolyn Gevinski)
Today however, on the cusp of a future ban, turnout was monumental, evidenced by the hundreds of people gathered in Foley Square.
“Today is about all of us embracing who we are in the face of fascism, bigotry, and injustice,” roared Diego Figueroa, a 21-year-old political science student at The City College of New York and speaker at the March.
“Without knowing a lick of English, my grandparents immigrated from Cuba and the Dominican Republic nearly 60 years ago. They fled dictatorships, tyranny, and flagrant violations of human rights. They came here with nothing but a dream, a sliver of hope that someday their descendants would be better off than they were,” said the young activist.
“My grandmother would be proud to see how far I’ve come,” Figueroa continued. “But she would be remiss to see the United States slowly falling into the same hell that she escaped.”
His speech echoed the voices of many Gen-Z creators who have posted on TikTok about their fears of a government they believe is quickly falling into fascism.
Protestors at People’s March (Carolyn Gevinski)
But other activists argued that a TikTok ban might invigorate fresh voices in these conversations.
“A potential upside to this ban could be that this is what wakes up the public,” said Elizabeth Ware, a People’s March attendee. “This could be what motivates my colleagues, friends and family members as well as everyone else to be more active and involved in the political endeavors that absolutely affect our lives.”
As the speeches ended and the march toward Washington Square Park began, Jay W. Walker, President of Gays Against Guns led a chant. The voices of many fused into a mutual, unified cry.
“I am not defeated,” the crowd repeated after Walker, “for still I rise!”