Protest Sign Ideas: 60 Slogans That Read From Across the Street

A good protest sign is seven words or fewer, in thick dark letters on a light board, and makes one point. If a driver passing at thirty miles an hour can read it, it works. Below are 60 original slogans you are welcome to write on poster board, grouped by cause. Every one of them is also a Care & Resist shirt, for the third hour when your arms are tired.

Democracy and No Kings

• Rejecting Kings Since 1776
• No Crowns, No Thrones
• We Outnumber Him
• Dissent is Patriotic
• An Executive Order is Not a Law
• Obey the Ruling
• Power is Not Permanent
• Authoritarians Hate a Crowd
• The Flag Belongs to Everyone
• We the People Means Everyone
• Democracy is Not for Sale
• Dictators Do Not Leave on Time

Rejecting Kings Since 1776We Outnumber HimDissent is PatrioticAuthoritarians Hate a Crowd

The right to protest itself

• Protest is Not a Riot
• The Streets Are Still Ours
• No Soldiers on Our Sidewalks
• Our Streets Are Not a Base
• Rubber Bullets Are Still Bullets
• Filming Police is Not a Crime
• Still Marching
• Louder Than Last Time
• We Are Not Asking Nicely
• Keep Making It Inconvenient
• Small Towns Resist Too
• This is Not Our First Fight

Protest is not a RiotThe Streets are Still OursStill MarchingSmall Towns Resist Too

Immigrant rights and due process

• Due Process is Not a Loophole
• Charge Them or Free Them
• Detained is Not Disappeared
• We Do Not Cage People
• Unmask ICE
• Who Polices ICE
• ICE is Not Law Enforcement
• No One Gets Taken Alone
• America Was Built By Immigrants
• Defend Your Immigrant Neighbors
• Families Over Borders
• Human Rights Have No Exceptions

Due Process is not a LoopholeUnmask IceWe Do not Cage PeopleHuman Rights Have No Exceptions

Libraries, schools and books

• Read a Book, Scare a Fascist
• Book Bans Are Not Parenting
• I Stand With My Librarian
• Librarians Are the Resistance
• Put the Books Back
• You Can Parent Your Kid, Not Mine
• Kids Need Teachers, Not Chatbots
• Fund School Lunch
• Every School Needs a Librarian
• Teens Can Handle a Book
• The Library is the Last Free Place
• Reading is Not a Crime

Read a Book Scare a FascistBook Bans are not ParentingLibrarians are the ResistancePut the Books Back

Health care, disability and the safety net

• Healthcare is a Human Right
• Hands Off Our Medicaid
• Cutting Medicaid Kills
• My Care is Not a Line Item
• Nothing About Us Without Us
• The Protest Needs a Ramp
• Hunger is a Policy Choice
• Housing is a Human Right
• Nobody is Disposable
• Mutual Aid is Not Charity
• Trans Rights Now
• Pride is a Protest

Hands Off Our MedicaidNothing About Us Without UsHunger is a Policy ChoiceThe Protest Needs a Ramp

How to make a sign people can read

• Board: white or yellow poster board or foam board. Foam board survives wind; poster board folds into a bag.
• Letters: a fat black marker or paint, all capitals, as large as the board allows. Pencil the layout first so the last word fits.
• Words: seven or fewer. Cut every word that is not doing work.
• Both sides: the people behind you are an audience too.
• Handle: many marches ask people not to bring wooden sticks or poles. A cardboard tube works, or hold the sign by its edges. Check the organizer's guidance.
• Rain: cover the face of the sign with clear packing tape.

About the shirts

Every design is original, written and lettered by a person, and printed to order in the USA. Shirts are unisex with a relaxed cut and run true to size, in a range of garment colors. Many designs also come as a hoodie and a crewneck sweatshirt. Because each piece is printed to order, allow time before your date; details are on the shipping page.

Marching with a group? Matching shirts make a contingent visible in every photo: group orders of existing designs go on one custom listing so everyone's sizes and colors ship together; see group and bulk orders. The full set is in protest shirts, with No Kings shirts for those marches. For what to wear on the day, see what to wear to a No Kings protest, and for your rights at a march, see our page on human rights at home.

Questions people ask

What should I write on a protest sign?
One short point in plain words, seven words or fewer. Specific beats general: "Obey the Ruling" is stronger than a paragraph about the courts. Humor works when it is readable at a glance.

What are good No Kings protest sign ideas?
"Rejecting Kings Since 1776," "No Crowns, No Thrones," "We Outnumber Him," "An Executive Order is Not a Law" and "Dissent is Patriotic" are all short enough to read from across a street.

What makes a protest sign easy to read?
High contrast, thick capital letters, few words, and letters large enough to fill the board. Dark marker on a white or yellow board is the most readable combination.

Can I use these slogans on my own sign?
Yes. You are welcome to write any of them on a handmade sign for a march. The shirt designs themselves are original artwork and are not for reproduction or resale.

Are sticks allowed on protest signs?
Often not. Many organizers and some cities prohibit wooden or metal poles. A cardboard tube or simply holding the sign is the safe choice.

Can I order matching shirts for my whole contingent?
Yes. Pick the design, collect sizes and colors, and we put the whole group on one custom listing that ships together; see group and bulk orders.

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