Protests are a complex thing. I very much supported the Gaza protests last year, but the net result was the near rupture of the Democratic coalition while also sparking a backlash on the right. Despite there being some positive movement on public opinion, they needed to be shut down, and were.
I again supported protests in May, and this was the result. I am not convinced we achieved any positive benefit from any of this. Meanwhile, things have gotten bad enough that the right is starting to recoil on their own. Why do we need to bring attention to it? Likely we would distract them.
There may be a protest that could work, but I do not think it is in the form we have seen thus far. Maybe something different will work, but it’s hard to control otherwise well meaning activists.
Do you mean control? Protest is to challenge the control isn't it? Even peaceful protest intends to disrupt, to get a response and that is always going to be unpredictable and not controlled. Curious what you think peaceful protest is about? Process? Purpose? Products?
Maybe not. But what is hoped to be gained is often only appreciated in theory and retrospect. Think Malcolm X and MLK which really made the changes? Or did the attention (pos and neg) do the heavy lifting? No one really knows just theories--- and results.
Yes, results is the important thing. But what results? There are many possible results, including that protests fail. There is a reason doctors take a Hippocratic oath. Sometimes an intervention hurts more than it helps.
There are many other factors in play which I will not discuss because this conversation is being monitored. If people want to help Gaza, a good way is to go protest Trump’s Epstein ties this weekend. Damaging Trump is a fantastic way to help Gaza, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
We don't all take the oath anymore FYI. UVA dropped it decades ago UofMich we took it with all others in the audience renewing theirs. First do no harm is what you are speaking to. But... as Ghandi and MLK proved harm may not be avoidable. Break it to fix it doctrine of protest. No?