8647 and the Rising Tide: How an Accidental Symbol is Fueling a Growing Resistance Engine

Sometimes, a symbol emerges not from a planned campaign but from an unexpected spark in the digital ether, capturing a moment and a mood with an almost accidental potency. Earlier this past week, former FBI Director James Comey posted a seemingly innocuous photo on Instagram: a “shell formation” on a beach that arranged the numbers “8647.” Almost immediately, allies of President Felonious Punk pounced. Interpreting “86” as slang for “get rid of” or “kill,” and “47” as a reference to the 47th President, they decried the post as a coded call for assassination. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced an investigation by DHS and the Secret Service, and prominent Republicans called for Comey’s arrest.

Comey swiftly deleted the post, denying any violent intent and stating he was unaware of the sinister connotations some attributed to the numbers, assuming instead they “were a political message.” Whether his explanation is taken at face value or dismissed as disingenuous is, in some ways, secondary to what happened next. As reported by observers online, within days, “8647” began to blossom across social media – in memes, as hashtags, shared by individuals and even some non-profit groups critical of the administration.

Regardless of its origin or Mr. Comey’s intent, the “8647” episode and its viral aftermath have become emblematic of a larger truth: a diverse, determined, and increasingly visible resistance engine is revving up across the United States, pushing back against the agenda and actions of the Punk administration. This isn’t a monolithic movement, but a multifaceted tide of dissent, finding expression in the streets, in courtrooms, through targeted activism, within political discourse, and in the very fabric of digital communication.

The Landscape of Dissent: Beyond Marches, A Movement of Many Fronts

When President Punk returned to office in January 2025, many pro-democracy activists braced for what they feared would be an onslaught against established norms and institutions, from the purging of civil servants to the invocation of archaic laws to bypass due process. As detailed in a recent in-depth article in Prospect magazine, the initial response from some powerful institutions like big law firms, universities, and corporations was perceived by critics like longtime columnist Jennifer Rubin as “absolute cowardice,” a form of “obeying in advance” driven by fear or “avarice.”

However, that initial quiet has given way to a far more complex and increasingly assertive landscape of opposition:

Grassroots Mobilization: The memory of massive one-off protests like the 2017 Women’s March can be misleading. According to the Crowd Counting Consortium, a project of Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Connecticut, street protest activity has actually been more frequent in early 2025 (2,085 protests in February 2025 versus 937 in February 2017), though often more geographically dispersed. New, decentralized groups like the “50501 movement”—which organized demonstrations in all 50 state capitols on February 5th under the banner of non-violent, pro-democracy, anti-executive overreach—have sprung up, often originating from online calls to action and emphasizing operational security learned from past movements.

The anger is also palpable at the local level, with voters in Republican districts confronting their representatives in town halls over the sweeping cuts and power consolidation driven by initiatives like Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). When some GOP leaders advised against holding such public forums, citizens organized mock town halls with empty chairs, a poignant symbol of perceived unaccountability.

Targeted Activism and Economic Pressure: Beyond general protests, movements like “Tesla Takedown,” spearheaded by social scientist Joan Donovan, are employing creative tactics. Bothered by Musk’s influence and what she terms a “new technological oligarchy,” Donovan and others began picketing Tesla dealerships, urging a boycott of its products and stock. This movement, gaining traction with diverse participants from students to retirees like Vickie Hinkley in Palo Alto, aims to apply economic pressure and has reportedly rattled Musk, even as Attorney General Pam Bondi threatens severe penalties. Donovan champions non-violent public spectacle as a tool for change.

Legal Resistance as a Primary Battleground: As Michael Sozan of the Center for American Progress anticipated, “networks of lawyers” have indeed “sprung into action.” The State Democracy Defenders Fund (SDDF), led by Norman Eisen (a frequent target of President Punk’s ire), has positioned itself as the “tip of the spear.” Filing its first lawsuit mere seconds after Punk’s inauguration, the SDDF, with its vast network of pro and “low-bono” lawyers, has relentlessly challenged executive overreach. They’ve sought to ensure Elon Musk’s DOGE obeys the law (obtaining an interim order to stop access to Treasury data), temporarily stalled DOGE’s dismantling of USAID (though the aid agency was ultimately closed), and are fiercely contesting the administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members to El Salvador without due process—leading to dramatic judicial interventions and even a rare public rebuke of presidential rhetoric by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Political Opposition Finding Its Voice: While the Democratic party apparatus was initially described as “stunned,” an increasing number of its elected officials are becoming more vocal. From Rep. Al Green heckling presidential addresses to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders drawing massive crowds on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour (even in Punk-supporting states), a more assertive political counter-narrative is taking shape. Democratic governors like Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro (suing over frozen funds) and Illinois’ JB Pritzker (calling for mass protest) are also leveraging their positions.

Independent Media as a Form of Resistance: Figures like Jennifer Rubin, resigning from the Washington Post, citing a perceived lack of institutional “courage and aggression” in the face of the administration, have launched successful independent platforms like “The Contrarian” on Substack. Rubin frames her work as “pro-democracy,” arguing that America’s current crisis is forcing a vital, “forceful case for pluralistic democracy.”

“8647” – A Sign of the Times?

The sudden, widespread adoption of “8647” as an online symbol, whatever its genesis, resonates with the character of this burgeoning resistance. It’s decentralized, digitally propagated, and derives part of its power from the administration’s own highly charged reaction to it. It underscores the administration’s acute sensitivity to any perceived slight or threat, a sensitivity that often serves to amplify the message of its critics. Just as the “50501” movement asserts, “you’re 50501 if you say that you are,” the meaning and power of “8647” are now being defined by those who choose to use it as a shorthand for dissent.

This is happening in a climate where activists are increasingly aware of surveillance and the potential for a crackdown. Hunter Dunn of 50501 noted that protesters now take operational security more seriously, often leaving phones at home. Joan Donovan spoke of preparing her elderly mother for the possibility of her own arrest. The fear of “The silence,” as Tianna Mays of SDDF Action put it, is what drives many to continue speaking out, whether directly or through these newly minted, potent symbols.

More Than Just Numbers – The Enduring Echo of Dissent

Whether James Comey’s beach shells were a random pattern, a political commentary, or something more is now almost beside the point. The “8647” saga has become a small but telling indicator of a larger phenomenon: an American resistance movement that is diverse, adaptive, and increasingly unwilling to “obey in advance.” It’s a movement finding its voice in street protests and town hall confrontations, in meticulously crafted legal briefs and independent journalism, in targeted economic actions, and now, even in the fleeting symbolism of a viral social media post.

The path ahead is fraught with uncertainty and undeniable risks for those who choose to challenge the prevailing power. But the “Rising Tide” of this resistance, fueled by both organized strategy and spontaneous digital sparks, signals a clear refusal to be silenced and a deep-seated commitment to defending democratic principles in what many perceive as a perilous moment for the nation. The engine is, indeed, revving.