Over the last few months, conservative political protest stickers have continued to appear in public places throughout the Bay Area. Many of the stickers are critical of President Joe Biden, and most use satire or memes to criticize the President’s policies.
One popular sticker shows an image of Joe Biden pointing to the left, with text reading “I Did That” below the sticker. People have placed the stickers in locations that suggest Biden’s responsibility for negative announcements or negative nationwide trends.
For example, the stickers have begun to appear at gas stations, with Biden’s finger positioned so that it points at the gas price display on a pump. The implication is that Biden’s policies are responsible for California’s record-high gas prices.
The same stickers have also been seen on notices about reduced hours of operation on local businesses. Again, the implication is that Biden’s policies are responsible for these reductions, or for similar trends like disruptions in national supply chains. The stickers have become ubiquitous around the United States as well as locally, and are even available for purchase on Amazon.
Another protest sticker features the text “Let’s go Brandon.” The text references a popular conservative meme, and has become shorthand for the phrase “Fuck Joe Biden” to those in the know. Various versions of the stickers have been sighted in public bathrooms, parks, and other locations around the Bay Area. It’s not immediately clear who has been placing the stickers. They’re often removed quickly, lasting for only a few days before business owners or passersby take them down.
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Depending on how you look at it, the stickers are either a clever act of conservative guerilla political criticism or the last-ditch effort of a cultural group that has largely had its voice eliminated from mainstream platforms like Twitter or Facebook, and so has to turn to casual vandalism to get its point across.
What do you think of the stickers? Have you seen any in your community? Let me know in the responses.
Thomas Smith is a food and travel writer and photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
