man the barricades

man the barricades

To launch or participate in a protest against some group, organization, or policy one disagrees with. People around the country are manning the barricades following the president's most recent policy announcement. I would be willing to man the barricades if some giant corporation ever tried to buy out our local businesses.
See also: barricade, man
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

man (or go to) the barricades

strongly protest against a government or other institution or its policy.
See also: barricade, man
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • barricade
  • manned
  • set aside (one's) differences
  • sink (one's) differences
  • sink your differences
  • put aside (one's) differences
  • be/get in on something
  • get in on
  • jar against
  • jar against (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
I was both incensed and exasperated by this reaction: It's easy to recommend that people man the barricades when you know that you're nowhere near the front lines.
When no one else-not Fortune, Industry Week, or even the Wall Street Journal--was willing to man the barricades, CE boldly drew its sartorial line in the sand.
The People's Party has been reduced to rousing its followers to man the barricades in support of a spurious equality between homosexuality and the natural heterosexual relationship.
Given their experience in Europe, where they had a justifiable fear of mass protest movements (which were often directed at them), nineteenth-century Jews were reluctant to man the barricades. They were divided, for instance, on the issue of slavery, some siding with the Confederacy.
Stephen Gleeson Had to man the barricades without Davis during second half last week.
"We desperately need help to man the barricades on Sunday for what is our biggest event of the year," said VK Legends boss Chris King.
Ministers are all too keen to man the barricades in defence of their own interests while leaving ordinary people to pay the price of their brutal policies.
Man the barricades? They know we will moan for a week, then shut up.
Now organisers are looking for people to man the barricades on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the building in Wellington Street.