The rise of authoritarianism in the United States had devastating consequences in 2025. It was a year of unrelenting injustice, maddening and terrifying at once. Amidst the cycles of heartbreak and hope, resistance surged to unprecedented levels. Along with mass demonstrations and powerful boycotts, there were countless acts of creative protest that rekindled spirits, made us laugh out loud, and kept us rising up.

In nonviolent struggle, creativity is an enduring superpower — and we’ve seen it working powerfully for us in 2025. It broke through the stranglehold of fear. It helped us scrape past defeat by the seat of our pants. It tapped into the strategic potential of nonviolent struggle. It gave us a superpower at a time when power seems stacked against us. From Jan. 20 onward, unexpected, unusual and off-the-wall actions kept our movements nimble and courageous.

Here’s a blow-by-blow of how creativity served us well as millions of people moved into action.