How Protesters Bypass TikTok Algorithms Amid D.C. Crackdown

Washington, D.C. – There is no actual music festival coming to the streets of the nation’s capital – but that’s exactly what social media users want the apps’ algorithms to think. In the wake of President Trump’s recent federal crackdown in Washington, D.C., internet activists have adopted a new code word for protests: “music festival.” By referring to demonstrations as fun events, they hope to evade algorithmic content moderation and keep videos of their rallies from being hidden or down-ranked. This tactic is part of a growing trend of “algospeak,” where users swap sensitive terms for innocuous phrases to outsmart automated censors.

Why Activists Are Talking About “Music” Instead of Protest

Social platforms like TikTok don’t explicitly ban posts about protests – TikTok’s official guidelines prohibit hate speech, threats, and violent content, but do not outlaw protest communication. Still, many activists fear that using words like “protest” or “riot” might trigger moderation or “shadow-banning,” causing their content to vanish from feeds. To stay “algorithm-friendly,” they’re describing protests as “music festivals,” complete with references to dancing and performers, in hopes that the context flies under the radar.

This kind of coded language is a form of self-censorship born of caution. Content creators worry that videos or posts about demonstrations could be flagged or suppressed, even inadvertently. “The algorithms are censoring any protest information, so organizers and participants are now referring to the protests as ‘music festivals,’” one user explained on Reddit, summarizing the sentiment driving this trend. In other words, protesters are adapting their speech to what they think the platforms’ automatic filters will accept. It’s a cat-and-mouse tactic aimed at spreading the word without setting off alarm bells in the software.

Inside D.C.’s “Music Festival” – A Protest Disguised in Plain Sight

On social media, talk of a big “music festival” in Washington, D.C. surged soon after President Trump announced a sweeping law-enforcement takeover of the city. In mid-August 2025, Trump federalized D.C.’s police force and deployed National Guard troops to the capital, saying it was necessary to combat crime. The move drew immediate pushback on the ground: protests erupted throughout the city. On a Wednesday night, demonstrators gathered at a police checkpoint in Northwest D.C., chanting “Go home, fascists,” in defiance of the heightened security. Earlier that week, around 150 people rallied near the White House the same day Trump’s plan was announced. Clearly, anger and resistance were brewing – and organizers were determined to get the message out despite the crackdown.

No Kings protests on 14 June 2025. Top left: St Paul, Minnesota; top right: San Francisco, California; bottom left: New York City; bottom right: Atlanta, Georgia. Composite: Getty, Zuma Press

Online, the protests took on a musical code. TikTok users began sharing details for upcoming “festivals” in D.C., complete with dates and locations, but without ever using the word “protest.” Some even leaned into the metaphor with irony: one Democratic TikTok creator, Johnny Palmadessa, posted that he was heading to D.C. for the “music festivals” following Trump’s takeover, quipping “Don’t you love music?” in his caption. He tagged his video with hashtags like “#music” and “#dance,” as if promoting a party rather than a political rally. Similar euphemistic language popped up on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) as well. By cloaking their calls to action as party invitations, these users hoped to boost the visibility of protest information on feeds that might otherwise filter out overt political content.

On the streets of D.C., of course, nobody was confused about what was really happening. The “music festival” code was a tongue-in-cheek disguise; the events were very much protests aimed at the Trump administration’s policies. As the weekend approached, more demonstrations were planned across the city – and social posts continued to invite people to “come enjoy the show.” This coded communication became a crucial organizing tool. There’s no evidence that TikTok or other platforms were actually deleting or blocking D.C. protest posts – but references to “music festivals” exploded in popularity regardless. The use of the term took on a life of its own, creating an in-group joke among those in the know, even as it helped important information spread.

Algospeak: Coded Language in the Social Media Age

What D.C. activists are doing with “music festival” is part of a broader phenomenon known as algospeak. In the 2020s, social media users have developed a whole lexicon of euphemisms to avoid triggering content moderation algorithms. Common examples include saying “unalive” instead of “kill,” or “seggs” instead of “sex,” to bypass filters. Even something as simple as a certain emoji might stand in for a word that platforms deem sensitive. Recently, TikTok users started saying “cute winter boots” to discuss the presence of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in their communities. On the surface it’s an innocent fashion reference – cute boots – but it’s actually a coded warning about immigration raids (since “ICE” can mean frozen water).

Digital linguists note that this kind of evasive speech has a long history. “People have always rerouted their speech around gatekeepers,” says Adam Aleksic, author of Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language. In the past, government censors or editors might have been the gatekeepers – today, “the algorithm” is a new gatekeeper of public discourse. Users are effectively “performing for the algorithm,” crafting their words to be algorithmically safe and viral-friendly at the same time. Talking about “music festivals” instead of protests is a perfect example of this dance. It’s a playful, even subversive workaround that helps content fly under the radar.

However, experts also caution that relying on algospeak has drawbacks. While it can fool the algorithm, it might also confuse ordinary people who aren’t in on the joke. The tactic highlights a double-edged reality of online activism: the very tools used to evade censorship can make the movement less visible to newcomers. Nonetheless, given the stakes, many organizers feel it’s worth the trade-off if it avoids potential takedowns or suppression.

From D.C. to L.A.: A Nationwide Strategy to Resist Silence

Though the “music festival” code word grabbed headlines in D.C., it didn’t start there – nor is it limited to one city. Activists in Los Angeles pioneered the term earlier in 2025 amid clashes over immigration enforcement. When ICE agents conducted raids in L.A., local protesters flooded TikTok and Reddit with alerts about a “24-hour music festival” in front of the downtown ICE office. The posts urged people to come “rave, dance, yell, and make your voices heard,” as if promoting a party, but they were actually mobilizing an urgent protest against the raids.

By the time Trump’s D.C. crackdown hit the news, the euphemism was already being adopted by activists across the country as a unified strategy to stay visible. Axios reports that TikTokers have used the “music festival” code to rally opposition not just to Trump’s actions in D.C., but also to immigration enforcement crackdowns in cities like Los Angeles. On these platforms, organizers cleverly ask followers “where to rock with the performers” at upcoming “festivals” – a sly way of sharing protest locations and targets without spelling it out.

The impact of these efforts is becoming evident. Far from being deterred, the protest movement against authoritarian policies has only grown. By October 2025, nationwide protests against the Trump administration reached an unprecedented scale – nearly 7 million Americans turned out on a single day to rally for democracy and civil rights. Organizers called it one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history. This massive outpouring showed that people from all corners of the country were galvanized to speak out.

Defending Free Expression and Civil Rights in the Digital Era

The rise of “music festival” as a protest code word is more than a quirk of internet slang – it underscores a serious point about free expression and civil rights in the digital age. When citizens feel the need to disguise their calls for peaceful assembly as something else, it reflects a profound distrust of how information flows online. Some of that distrust is fueled by past experiences: activists remember incidents where social media algorithms seemingly erased or downplayed protest content.

Whether or not algorithms are actively censoring these new protests, the perception of bias or silencing is enough to drive people to adapt. Language becomes a battleground – and activists are determined to own their narrative by any creative means necessary.

Staying neutral in phrasing while advocating for justice is a delicate balancing act. The individuals organizing these so-called music festivals are not looking for an actual party; they are pushing back against hate, authoritarianism, and abuse in a way that tech platforms might tolerate. It’s a strategy born of necessity, mixing caution with defiance. From a democracy and human rights perspective, this trend raises critical questions: How can we ensure that discussions of social justice and protests aren’t inadvertently stifled by private algorithms? And what responsibility do platforms have to make sure important political speech isn’t lost in the shuffle of content moderation?

As these debates continue, one thing is clear: Americans are not remaining silent. Whether marching in the streets or posting online in clever code, people are finding ways to make their voices heard. The creative resilience shown by D.C. protesters and others using “algospeak” demonstrates the power of collective action even under trying circumstances. Their commitment to peaceful resistance and civil liberties speaks to a broader movement insisting that hate and repression have no place in the United States.

Join the Movement – No Hate in the United States

The fight for a more inclusive and just society doesn’t end with online cleverness – it requires all of us to stand up and be counted. Everyday citizens can channel this spirit of resilience into concrete action. One way to do so is by supporting campaigns that seek to eliminate hate and protect civil rights at a national level. No Hate in the United States is a grassroots campaign dedicated to combating discrimination and upholding the values of dignity, solidarity, and democracy in American communities.

Take Action: Visit Pledge4Peace.org/campaigns/no-hate-in-the-united-states today to add your voice. Vote on our campaign’s proposals and support a more inclusive, peaceful American society. In a time when protesters must get creative just to be heard, it’s more important than ever to stand together and demand No Hate in the United States.

Every click, every vote, and every conversation brings us one step closer to a future where equality and peace prevail over division and fear. Let’s make sure that the only thing “going viral” is our shared commitment to justice and unity – algorithms notwithstanding.

Hero Image: People participate in a “No Kings” protest on October 18, 2025, in Boston. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images