Do protests actually do anything? - eviltoast

Tons of protests going on everywhere against Israel, but not a single government has changed their stance

  • Waldowal@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I think they can work, but only when certain pieces are there. The protest must have:

    • A clearly defined goal
    • Existing support somewhere in the government, or a financial incentive for people in the government that oppose you.

    For example, civil rights and women’s right to vote had some governmental support. The protests had well defined goals, and helped raise awareness and support for those people already in government to enact change.

    On the other hand, the 1% protests a few years ago, and more recently, BLM, had ambiguous goals. Without clear goals, no existing government support could be identified. And there was no financial incentive for others to act. The protests raised awareness but ultimately had little real effect unfortunately.

    I do wonder if things have changed though. I think public shaming helped enact some changes in the past, but no one has shame anymore.