By Kristin Battista-Frazee
Before social media, television, and Netflix, the humble paperclip was used as a powerful message to fight against fascism. During World War II Norwegians wore paperclips attached to their lapels or as jewelry in an act of defiance against Nazi occupation and as a form of non-violent resistance. The grassroots practice was started in the fall of 1940 by Oslo University students and teachers. The paperclip became an enduring symbol that brought citizens together to stand up against the Nazis.
Today in America, we find ourselves in dark and perilous times. Republicans and the Trump Administration are stripping away our democratic rights, militarizing cities, starving Americans by cutting off SNAP benefits, and kidnapping people off the street without due process. As reported by Politico, a group chat of young Republican leaders is proof that Nazi and racist ideology still persists.
In response, the grassroots have pushed back in big and small ways. And, the paperclip is making a comeback. Ollie and Janice Pedersen founded The Paperclip Resistance on November 8, 2024, just days after last year’s election. Their Norwegian family ties were the impetus for reviving the paperclip cause. Ollie Pedersen’s father emigrated to America from Norway in 1907 and fought in World War II as a Merchant Marine for England and as a Commander in the US Navy.
We are seeing the paperclip protest pop-up in other places, too. E. Jean Carroll’s Balls to the Wall, Baby and Joyce Vance’s Paperclip Protest Substack posts call on readers to don a paperclip and retell the rich history of this resistance movement. Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president and author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy, mentions the paperclip in both her book and in an AFT article. The Grassroots Connector discovered The Paperclip Resistance from a mention in a Red, Wine & Blue newsletter.
I spoke to Janice and Ollie Pedersen about how and why they restarted the paperclip movement to fight fascism, their experience connecting with the grassroots, and their future aspirations for the movement. By the way, they have way better merch than a MAGA hat.
How It Started
Like all movements, actions start small and grow. After the November 2024 election, Janice, who had recently read a book about Norwegian immigration and the paperclip’s history, was inspired to make a protest sign featuring a paperclip and a Norwegian flag. Janice is a former teacher and of Norwegian descent, and felt an immediate connection to the paperclip movement. Ollie soon created a large red paperclip made of rebar in their barn on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Armed with Ollie’s large red paperclip and Janice’s sign, the Pedersens attended a protest in Poulsbo, Washington, also called Little Norway. Organizers asked them to lead the protest downtown. They were interviewed by a local podcast and written up in the Kitsap Sun. Word began to spread. The couple built a website, and Janice’s sister, Bonnie Morrow Cook, designed the paperclip merch. Soon, they were hearing from people all over the country and the world.
The Pedersens are keenly aware that symbols transcend language. We see symbols everywhere in our daily lives — the bullseye for Target, the swoosh for Nike, and, in darker times, the swastika of the Nazis. The Pedersens believe the paperclip’s positive message is the perfect symbol for the times we face today.
A Breakthrough
At the No Kings protest in California, as the Pedersen’s walked through the crowd, they saw people everywhere wearing paperclips. They learned that the 50501 Movement had promoted them. “When we go to rallies, we always hand out paperclips with a little card explaining it with a QR code,” said Janice. “I go over to a table and this lady says, ‘Can I help you?’ She was wearing paperclip earrings. I see their display table was entirely devoted to material about people wearing a paperclip and sharing our website’s QR code. I just hugged her. It was amazing to see it in another state.”
The Pedersens have since connected directly with E. Jean Carroll and started conversations on how to spread the word about the Paperclip Resistance. And, they have worked with Vote Common Good locally and nationally to promote distributing paperclips and speaking at rallies.
What’s Next?
Ollie and Janice will continue to spread the message about the paperclip and engage more paperclip supporters, whom Janice calls “clipsters,” “clip sisters,” or “the paperclip posse.” The Pedersens also plan to return to Norway to visit the historical museum, which features their family history. “We hope everywhere we will see someone paperclipped,” Ollie said. “And, it would be nice to see actors wearing them at the Oscars.”
As the Pedersens shared their vision for The Paperclip Resistance, they were clear that they didn’t want this effort to be about them. Instead, their focus is on the unifying message of the paperclip, not as a stand-alone project, but as a hub for everyone. The Pedersens envision the paperclip as a symbol for all advocacy and resistance activities. This coming January 6, they hope to inspire a protest called Paperclip the Nation. Also, they would like the original big red paperclip that Ollie created in their barn to tour the country, and like the Olympic torch, be handed off from community to community, along the Northern border, and in every state capitol before arriving in Washington, D.C.
Connecting with the Grassroots
Ollie and Janice have made great connections. The Paperclip Resistance website is getting thousands of visitors. And the Pedersens hope to reach more national grassroots leaders, former and current elected officials, and the Democratic National Committee.
When asked what help the grassroots community can provide, Janice said, “Communicate with one another and share the link to The Paperclip Resistance website. We would be happy to share other organizations’ websites on our pages, too.” When asked what they would say directly to Trump if they had the chance, Ollie replied, “The paperclip binds us together. It will be your undoing.”
Reflecting on the Past, Hope for the Future
Janice retold the story of the fate of Norwegian teachers who refused to stop wearing the paperclip. “The teachers were forced to march through the snow, for weeks at a time, up into Kirkenes near the Arctic Circle. They were put in prison camps. But when one fellow was asked, ‘Why didn’t you give up?’ he said, ‘Because I am Norwegian.’ I hope when our children ask us, ‘Why didn’t you give up?’ (during the Trump years), we will say, ‘Because we are American.’“
In honor of the paperclip movement, post a picture of yourself on social media wearing a paperclip with the hashtag #paperclipmutiny, and let’s paperclip the nation. Let’s replace the MAGA hat with a paperclip hat. Remember, a small action can make the biggest difference. Above all else, we are in this fight together.
For more information about The Paperclip Resistance contact paperclip.me@outlook.com or https://thepaperclipresistance.com/.
Our evolving Paperclip Resistance:
https://sites.google.com/view/communitiesrisingus/bound-together
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1skCSDDa9ZCCSgf7ztyfbmmmEeQPvFijv/view?usp=sharing
My husband and I are thrilled to be a part of the expansion of an idea of the revival of the Paperclip resistance movement to a growing nationwide and now international campaign. Our goal is to “PAPERCLIP THE NATION” January 6th as a day of UNITY not division. The Paperclip family has grown beyond our wildest dreams and yet our dreams continue to grow beyond what is imaginable. Thank you for connecting with us and a special thanks goes to Kristin for writing such a wonderful article that captures our story. As the leader of the French Resistance, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade once said,
“They appeared from out of the shadows, and suddenly you felt that you had always known them. The connection formed by a threat to one’s country is the strongest connection of all. People adopt one another, march together. Only capture or death can tear them apart.”