Are protests just meaningless, feel-good exercises, or do they make a difference?

[bigtree]

I had to post this question because of the unusual amount of folks who are (generally) telling me that protest actions are worthless if or because;

1. they won't have an immediate impact

2. they will be (initially) ignored by the power structure

3. there are other actions more direct, and eventually more effective

4. protesting one issue is less important, relevant, or effective than protesting others


My interest in this question came out of responses to my query about the gas boycott, but, I can't help feel that there may be some attitudes about protesting and boycotts here which transcend that issue and query. I could be wrong, but, here's asking . . .

[Monkeyman]

1. Tree hell yes look at what we did in the 60's

The Protest have picked up more and more support the power structure is now watching

[uppityperson]

2. It all depends on the protest.

Some make a difference, some are meaningless feel-good ones.

[Forkboy]

4. But you'll never know if they make a difference unless you try it.

Like Wayne Gretzky always said,"100% of the shots you don't take don't go in."

[uppityperson]

9. However, as has been shown in the gas boycott thread, there are ways to protest

that make a difference, and feel-good ones. For instance, rather than buying your gas 1 day and not the next, don't drive for a day. The first will not show much since Big Oil doesn't monitor gas sales on a daily basis, but the second would send a message since total gas sold for the week would be 1/7 less than normal. If you did this every (pick a day) for a month, this would decrease total consumption, sending a message.

Feel-good protest is voting on an online poll or postponing something briefly which no one will notice. Making a difference is getting out talking to people about the occupation, the lies, Big Oil profits. Making a difference is organizing a "don't drive on hump day for a month" boycott, or "take your bike to work" day.

Yes, protest, and yes, you don't know what will make a difference, but be wise and use your time and energies wisely, but we need all kinds of people doing all sorts of things. And DU is a big tent.

[bigtree]

11. yet, all of those smaller actions seem, to me, to have value beyond the initial participant

to somehow discourage them or devalue them seems short-sighted and defeating.

[uppityperson]

12. we need all kinds of people doing all sorts of things.

[bigtree]

14. well said, UP

[patrice]

23. Right On!!

With emphasis on ALL in both cases.

[Forkboy]

17. Your last paragraph sums up my feelings well.

We have enough people to apply pressure on all fronts.That's why I have no problem with any protests for any reason,though I agree some can be done more wisely and can be more effective than others.

I even like seeing Repubs protest (and not just for the laugh factor like their "pro-war" rally..damn,that was funny!).I just like seeing an involved populace,even when I don't agree with them.

[DrRang]

19. They marched in their Sunday best.

I read something a few months ago that stuck in my mind, although I'm not a hundred percent sure I agree with it. The writer talked about how doing all the clown/stilt walker/face painter stuff at marchs makes it too easy for the media to trivialize protestors. The civil rights protestors always marched in their most formal clothes. The men wore suits and ties, the women wore their church outfits, the children were starched and combed and polished within an inch of their lives. The message was that they were serious people and they were dead serious about what they were doing.

We all know what the media does. They zero in on the scruffy guys with mohawks, the braless chick who takes her top off for the camera, the tiny handful waving Palestinian flags, whatever. Anything to spread the message that protestors against the establishment are silly, extremist people and no one needs to listen to their message.

[Forkboy]

3. Some people see them and are inspired to speak up themselves.

That alone makes them worthwhile.

[KittyWampus]

5. Large protests in today's US are ineffective for all but networking. Don't discount "feel good"

effect. It's important, when you're a dedicated activist, to find like minded people and share information.

I think small, local protests are way more effective.

BTW, I am referring to rally's.

[ret5hd]

6. As long as our protests are...

only at appointed times and places...
only along appoined routes...
only allowed at the whim of the powers that be...
dispersed at the appointed hour...

yeah, i say they are pretty useless.

when we fight in the courts to be given permission to use our freedoms of assembly and petition, we are playing THEIR game.
we should stop...we should NOTIFY of our intent to assemble. No permits. No court dates. Notification.

When we gain the "balls" to do that, then they will become usefull.
But i go anyway.

[Rock_Garden]

7. I think they make a big difference....

if they're kept up over a longer period of time. One or two, no, but one or two dozen, yes. And the old business maxim doesn't hurt, either: volume, volume, volume. The media only covers the whoppers.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

8. Margaret Mead says it better than I can.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

MKJ

[patrice]

10. On balance, they are useful. Message needs to be worked on though.

I'm with The Nation and Alexander Cockburn's April 16 opinion http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070416/cockburn of the Jan. 27 protest in D.C.: Too much Bush Bashing, not enough Holding Cogressional Feet to the Fire!!

[CK_John]

13. Worthless, when 99.9% have never been to school board meeting or

town council meeting, why would you expect results.

[bigtree]

16. I think that activism usually starts with small efforts and builds as folks take more interest

in their own responsibility to act.

I began my protests with Earth Day, many years ago. The next was No-Nukes, ERA, Legalization . . . I've moved into direct action, mainly because of my determination to transform my ideals into reality. It all began, though, with the draw of a protest and my feeble attendance.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. Ask George II, Louis XVI, and Nicholas II.

To name just a few, who felt protests were dangerous, and after crushing them, came to a bit of grief.

[blues90]

18. Some are worth while , others are feel good

If and when people decide to get out there in huge numbers and stick it out for as long as it takes then yes they will make a difference for this country if not then they are done and gone events .

I doubt this will happen because most people fear losing their jobs , don;t care enough or ignore all issues until they are hit in the gut by one huge distructive fist .

I doubt if but a few politicians even consider these rallies as part of the peoples process , banners and signs just don;t cut it , not any more .

I am not trying to be anything other than realistic here .

[Edweird]

20. It can be either. Use your resources wisely.

Protesting gas prices will have zero effect (I feel) because the big oil companies have the blessing of the administration to rape us. They won't listen because they don't have to and they have our grapes in a vice. I personally feel that approaching your congressional representatives about investigating this travesty would be the best route and would yield potential results.

An outpouring of public sentiment over the excessive actions of the LAPD would, however, possibly yield the best results. There is a mayor and police commissioner that rely on voters to retain their offices and jobs. I feel they would be more apt to listen to an angry crowd at their doorstep.

All the issues that face us are important and must be dealt with. But, you must use the best tool for each job.

[sniffa]

21. yep, just Like aLL those "waLk for a causes"

it's just to make the do-gooders feeL even better about themseLves.

[bigtree]

24. the exercise alone is worth the effort

(that felt GOOD)

[Rosemary2205]

22. Sustained boycotts and protests can work in a multi-pronged strategy.

The bus strikes worked - not overnight but they worked as part of a bigger picture. The Vietnam protests helped, not instantly, and not by themselves but over a period of time had an effect.

If you want to use boycotts toward big Pharm or big Oil then it's going to take more than a one day gas out. And it's going to take formulating a specific end goal to alleviate the problem of the poor and middle class getting squeezed in this regard.

[bigtree]

25. I really have doubts that a sustained, long-term protest would have a better reception here

There seems to be a view that an action doesn't immediately change the status quo is meaningless. I wonder why this attitude is applied to the issue of a 'gas out' and not to other protests which were staged against overwhelming odds?

I listened to a Pacifica affiliate in the D.C. area this morning and, although the opinion about the gas action was mixed, there were more than enough folks who were very accustomed to protests and boycotts who indicated an interest in participating.

I think that the effect of any action usually depends on the numbers of folks willing to participate for whatever impact they hope to accomplish. More folks participating in a protest, more visibility and more influence on individuals, businesses, and legislators looking on.

[Rosemary2205]

26. Concerning gas pricing

A long term boycott will get the price down because demand will drop but as soon as the price drops everyone will decide they were successful and go back to using the gas again, driving the price back up.

Now someone could fight to increase the supply - such as increasing refining capacity. I'd be surprised if the environmentally minded DU will get behind that.

Another option is to protest and petition the feds to slap on a several dollars a gallon gas tax. At some point big oil will be forced to give up some of it's profits and more money will flow to the federal government instead but this might have unintended economic consequenses as the greed mongers demanding big dividends from big oil will cut and run for greener pastures.

From what I'm seeing, controlling the price of anything is not very easy.

[Beelzebud]

27. If they're focused they can make a difference. If it's 1000 pet issues, it's for feel-good.

When people see a rally on TV or in the papers, and it's being billed as an Iraq War protest, it sends a weird message when half the signs aren't even about the Iraq War... During the Answer protests just take a good look at the crowd. You see signs for "free Mumia", "Free the West Memphis Three!", "Liberate Palestine!", "Meat is Murder", "Save the Whales", etc etc etc.

FOCUS

The reasons the protests in the 60's were actually effective was because of FOCUS.

The reason the Mexican American protests on May Day are mostly viewed as helpful is because of FOCUS.

[camero]

28. At this point it's just feel good

I'm now of the opinion that nothing less than a general strike will have an effect on policies. Pols will posture to appease the issue but in the end nothing gets done.

[warren pease]

29. As one of the skeptics on the other thread...

Hey Bigtree -- I should have been a bit more precise. I feel that a one-day boycott of gasoline is indeed useless for a couple of reasons: If you drive a car, there's no substitute for gasoline, so if you don't buy it one day you'll eventually have to buy it the next or the day after that. You can't just pour strawberry soda into the tank and drive merrily along.

However, some boycotts have been very effective BECAUSE there are alternatives equally as good as the product being boycotted. The lettuce boycott, advocated by Cesar Chavez when he was organizing the field workers in the San Joaquin Valley into what became the United Farm Workers, worked to perfection. If I remember, the boycott was specific to iceberg lettuce. And there are plenty of other kinds of lettuce to put into a salad, as well as spinach or cabbage. So, unlike a gas boycott, the lettuce boycott could be sustained indefinitely because consumers had other options.

That's the point I should have made on the other thread. Hopefully, that explains my position on this proposed boycott.

Cheers,

wp