What are the protests accomplishing?

[Guest]

I read Nickademus' account of the protest in Ottawa. It's great that it's peaceful, great that it had a good turn-out, good that the cops were helpful... but what is it accomplishing? Globalization is a business deal, it's not like protesting a war. If we want to destroy globalization wouldn't it be much more beneficial to sabotage business, and by boycotts and yeah, breaking windows, or spraying Graffitti on buildings?

[El Commandante]

But with the protests some are about spreading the word and getting people to realise what is happening. If that happens then they can only grow. Also if you do go around damaging property then your not projecting a brilliant image for yourself or the movement, people will be much more accepting if you use peaceful channels. This means that they will listen much more readily and some real change will happen. Also you want see on the media "violent mobs trash town" which is the worst thing that could happen. All it will do is turn away peaceful people from the movement and hamper it in the long run.

If you do criminal damage (which it is, don't use anti globalisation as an excuse) who will it affect the most. Definately not the big corporations, it will do nothing to their profits, they'll still get rich. But the normal workers will have to more work to repair the damage and this will turn them against you.

Always use peacefull methods, if people metaphorically slap you turn the other cheek and tell them to slap you again. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, remember that.

[Guest]

i think protests are benificial for many of the reasons that El Commandante said but i dont think turning the other cheek i always the right method. what do we ever get for turning the other a cheek? another slap!

[vox]

I'm with El Commandante on this one, but I'd add one more thing:

Everyone should remember that a protest march is an exhibition. They are good to have and draw attention to a subject, but they, by themselves, will not change anything.

People don't see a protest on TV one day and decide to go to one the next day.

These things take time and work. They require convincing people of the rightness of your cause. They require constant and unrelenting focus by people who are committed. They require staying on message and not being distracted by detractors.

Fifty thousand people just don't show up someplace and start protesting. These are people that have become committed to a cause. Maybe it's something that they read somewhere. Maybe it's something that happened to them. Or maybe, just maybe, it's something that you said four months before the protest that's been rattling around in their brains ever since.

Protests are great. Go to them. Have fun. Network. But always remember that the hardest work is the rest of the time.

vox