To think protesting doesn't work anymore?

[022828MAN]

From BLM, Extinction Rebellion, Anti lock down protests in Melbourne.

I'm not arguing whether the context or reason for the protesting is justified or not, but I just wonder whether protesting is ever going to get results for anyone in this day and age.

It seems as though it's just the go-to answer nowadays, yet I've not seen anywhere it seems to have yielded any results. All I see is prolonged anguish, anxiety, vandalism, violence and arrests.

I feel like police / gov actively won't respond to demands through protesting as they believe it will show them to be able to be manipulated, and therefore they purposely do not give in to protests.

I'm not here to say people shouldn't be vocal when they believe in something, but is protesting the answer in modern times?

Totally agree. It's tedious.

What is the alternative?

To bring about change.

@NiceGerbil

What is the alternative?

To bring about change.

I'm not sure, and not claiming to have an answer. But in what other circumstances would we continue to do something fruitlessly? It just seems totally pointless at this point.

We've become desensitised to it as a society IMO. People will protest at the drop of a hat and gotta say I get annoyed with blue haired students and hipsters blocking the road when I'm working around the city centre tbh.

Yes. It just alienates and angers people.
It's bullying in many cases.
And virtue signalling.
Tedious.

I think that protesting often has the alternative effect, ie it discourages people from your cause, especially if it inconveniences people. Not saying I agree just what I've seen happen locally, especially in relation to climate change protests.

Why dont these so called 'protesters' do something positive for a change rather than destroying things all the time.

We've had constant protests in London for weeks now. We have to adjust our travelling patterns because of it. Agree, it's lost its impact.

XR have annoyed my near neighbours in Herne Hill by camping in Brockwell Park and - surprise! - turning it into a litter strewn mess. So much for the environment.

As for an alternative, I don't know, apart from constantly lobbying MPs.

Climate change etc is a cause that is actually very difficult to disagree with.
However, Extinction Rebellion have managed to do the cause a huge disservice.
Clowns.

Walking down a street waving banners has never worked.

I sort of agree with you. It sometimes feels like we have a defeated working age population, very cynical, jaded, overworked, knackered so when anyone says 'hey we could change this' they get hit with a wall of negativity and sneering.

It sometimes feels like we have a defeated working age population, very cynical, jaded, overworked, knackeredso when anyone says 'hey we could change this' they get hit with a wall of negativity and sneering.

Morelike we have a load of naive students who think they can solve the world's environmental issues by waving signs around.

I think people are getting sick of protesters destroying property and making a nuisance of themselves - so yes, it no longer does much good.

I think people are getting sick of protesters destroying property and making a nuisance of themselves - so yes, it no longer does much good.
That and the fact if you are in anyway on the fence or not fussed by a protest, your branded as uncaring or aligning with the side they protesting against.

It can bring attention to a cause but can backlash like XR found out when they tried to stop that tube train in East London or when a protest turns into riots / looting and damages the cause itself.

Well it has us all talking so it has worked on some level. Everyone on this thread is now thinking of climate change in one way or another.

If it did work it would be mob rule.

We live in (however imperfect) a democracy.

What’s the alternative?

Take the Climate Crisis. Greenpeace have been peacefully campaigning for over 30 years and still the Government won’t act strongly enough despite agreeing that there is a need to based on the science. Young people are rightly frightened about what’s ahead for them (based on very strong science - not anxiety) and those in power are not listening and not acting strongly enough.

Direct and disruptive action is effective based on what’s happened historically. Extinction Rebellion are using the learning from history to inform their protests.

I’m hugely grateful that we have the right to protest. I’m hugely grateful to historic protestors that sacrificed so much to stand up for what is right (e.g. Suffragettes).

If those in power don’t listen to the experts, don’t listen to the people and continue to make decisions that are harmful to us (now or in the future) then what action do we have left other than protest and direct action?

‘Today 04:42 VettiyaIruken

Walking down a street waving banners has never worked.’

Protests of different sorts have worked. If you are a woman in the UK, the only reason you get to vote is because of protests and direct action.

What’s the alternative?

It'll only change IMO when the majority of the population care about it. If suicide bombers can't bring about change why would sign wavers?

Only voting works

I've been protesting and educating in one way or another about climate change and environmental issues for over 30 years. It barely works but fuck knows what else to do. The current XR lot have brought the issue to the front but are getting lots of backs up. The government are the ones with power to make significant changes but don't want to as it will effect their and their mates income too much.

It is not the protest per se, I think it gets the publicity, so makes sure the cause is noticed by the public.

Protesting absolutely does work and it remains the only means of action many marginalised people have.

Take the BLM protests: in America, the murderers of George Floyd were only arrested after protests, Breonna Taylor's husband was only released due to the protests and the abolishing of "no knock" warrants was down to the protests as well.

In Britain, white society is starting to realise celebrating murderers and human traffickers is not the best thing and most importantly, the protests has shown that racism is not just an American problem.

I don't have much time for XR, Political Protestors and the likes of Greta Thunberg, or indeed politicians in general, because they're not going to solve the problems of climate change: only Engineers can do that. Give them the direction and the resources, let them examine the science and quietly change things. The rest, as they say, is hot air (see what I did there?)