How do you feel about "inconvenient" protesting

[blackrave]

Except you don't need honey to attract flies. You can also attract flies by flinging shit, and when honey is going for $14 a kilo, spoon feeding honey to entitled jerks may not be an option.

You do realize that same argument could be made to justify releasing attack dogs on protesters?

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Except you don't need honey to attract flies. You can also attract flies by flinging shit, and when honey is going for $14 a kilo, spoon feeding honey to entitled jerks may not be an option.

And with an attitude like that, is it any small wonder why these sorts are being looked upon with disdain and contempt more so than anything else?

If you're going to advocate behaving in such a way then you're tacitly admitting to knowingly undermining your position of 'moral superiority.' It's downright foolish and does not help the cause.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Except you don't need honey to attract flies. You can also attract flies by flinging shit, and when honey is going for $14 a kilo, spoon feeding honey to entitled jerks may not be an option.

You do realize that same argument could be made to justify releasing attack dogs on protesters?

I was under the impression we were discussing nonviolent protest. But sure, provided you're willing to throw any argumentative standard out the window, you could use anything to justify anything.

And with an attitude like that, is it any small wonder why these sorts are being looked upon with disdain and contempt more so than anything else?

If you're going to advocate behaving in such a way then you're tacitly admitting to knowingly undermining your position of 'moral superiority.' It's downright foolish and does not help the cause.

Behaving in what way? Having the belief that sometimes people need to demand their rights by protesting on the street, rather than begging and cajoling? If you think that's a reason to look upon someone with disdain and contempt then it's little wonder nothing ever changes.

 

[RicoADF]

Here in Sydney Australia most of the protests I've seen have been down George St to Town Hall, it blocks off the road which is a central road of Sydney thus it does disrupt traffic etc. That said it's always organised with police to direct traffic etc etc so it's a minor disruption that's properly dealt with. I don't mind that and the news reports on it etc so it get's the attention it wants while doing it safely etc (for both the protesters and others).

 

[Genocidicles]

It's only going to make me hate their cause even more.

If I was getting inconvenienced by these cunts protesting Michael Brown's death it would only make me more likely join the Klan just to spite them rather than empathize with their pathetic cause.

 

[chiggerwood]

.

So again, I not only have zero sympathy, but also zero respect for people who whine about protesters. I can just vaguely hope that one day when they or a loved one are murdered by cops, or left to die by a gutted healthcare system, or in a war torn country waiting for their papers to be processed so they can be "legitimate" refugees, they find solace in the fact that they weren't stuck in traffic for half an hour that time when people were trying to draw attention to injustice.

Do you have so little self awareness that you cannot see how vile of a sentiment that is? Are you so heartless that you will have others lose jobs, suspend emergency services, and cause hospitals to be understaffed/overworked possibly costing innocent lives for you cause? How is doing that any more just than the injustice that you are fighting against? Because when you stop traffic for half an hour, it takes hours for it to get flowing properly once again. How is it for the betterment of your cause to make people bitter and resentful of you? How does it benefit the populace to wish such vile things against them even if it is a "Vague Hope"?

Except you don't need honey to attract flies. You can also attract flies by flinging shit, and when honey is going for $14 a kilo, spoon feeding honey to entitled jerks may not be an option.

Yeah shit attracts flies my friend, but you know what, in the end it's still shit and all you're ever going to get is a bunch of disease ridden flies. If you're protesting an injustice the onus is on you to act in a way that is just and shows your cause to be for the betterment of the populace, even if it cost "$14 a kilo".

Captcha: thinking cap - Even captcha wants you to have a think about your ways my friend.

 

[Thaluikhain]

God, people always parrot that people should stick to "peaceful methods" like those of Martin Luther King and Gandhi but apparently even they are just a bunch of "selfish, childish assholes".

Guess it's time for that MLK quote:

"Over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro?s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen?s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ?order? than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ?I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action?; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man?s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a ?more convenient season.?

Yup, everyone is for equality and justice and all in a vague nebulous way, up until they are inconvenienced or have to admit there's an actual problem.

 

[JohnZ117]

"Say whatever you want, do whatever you want, just as long as I am not inconvenienced."

Yes, this may be a strawman fallacy, but it's what many of you sound like to me. Families want to live on just one salary, black men want to not live in fear of the police, immigrants want to get out of a country embroiled in a war in which all sides are corrupted beyond measure, but you think your "right" to convenience should trump their right to demand their rights! You are the "good men" who stand by while evil triumphs.

 

[Flames66]

In theory I am for inconvenient protests, nobody will listen if you don't make them and the legal system is too bloated to achieve anything for the common person. However, make sure you're inconveniencing the right people. If you block a major road, everyone who was late for work will now hate you and probably not feel any desire to support your cause. If you are protesting wages at a fast food chain, inconvenience that chain. Peacefully and non violently prevent them from conducting their business.

 

[DEAD34345]

I absolutely think "inconvenient" protesting is perfectly OK. I mean, I can't believe this is really even being thought of as an issue. "Inconvenient" protesting is the mild, peaceful version of regular old violent, disruptive protesting, and some of you will refuse to put up with even that?

These people should apparently just give up on trying to improve the world/their country/whatever they're so worked up about if they can't do it without causing you some mild inconvenience? This is just ridiculous and sad.

 

[Dwarfman]

I was under the impression that ALL protesting was inconvenient. Whether it be a strike, a march or a blockade, you are there to get in the face of the people so to speak and ensure that what say and believe in is heard. Protesters are hardly doing their job if they're just sitting there out of the way and not doing much. So to that end, yes it is inconvenient. Yes I get annoyed by it. But that's the point because maybe you might learn something from these people - even if what you're learning is about different parts of the city cause you have to find new ways to get to work on time.

Provided the protest is peaceful and doesn't turn into a riotous shit storm like some recent protests, then I have no problems with people expressing their opinions.

 

[AntiChri5]

The thing is, damn near everyone has an issue. At least one subject they very much want addressed, one area they think their society needs serious work. But to assume that yours is so important that you should inconvenience hundreds of thousands for it is nothing but arrogance.

There are better ways.

 

[Lieju]

Can't say I like it but a protest that isn't in some way inconvenient is a protest that's pointless. The point of a protest is to show you're too big a group to be ignored and draw attention to an issue. If you protest somewhere polite and out of the way it dose nothing.

Of course you can go to far. If they are doing airport and major highways I'd be surprised if people didn't get charged. Here the airport is classed as an essential service so you can get some pretty hefty fines for disrupting it and shutting down major highways is dangerous.

Pretty much this.
What's the point of a protest if you can just be ignored?

But if you end up harming totally unrelated people, it might be misdirected. And of course there is always the risk those already more disadvantaged or marginalized will be the ones who end up suffering more than the priviledged people who can just shrug any inconvenience off.
But as far as 'riots' go, (And of course it's always worth asking who decides something is a 'riot'...) if you keep pushing people again and again and again, and ignore their voices at some point you can't really pretend to be surprised when the anger erupts.

(For example, the Stonewall riots.)

 

[Trippy Turtle]

They shouldn't do it and deserve to be arrested. I feel bad for the cops that have to deal with it. I'm all for protesting whatever the hell you want. If you aren't getting in my way you could be protesting to have me lynched if you want. I wouldn't support you but I'd support your right to do it. Being a problem for the people though isn't welcome. Its no better than blocking a main road "Because you said so".

 

[SecondPrize]

Protests like these which shut down access or infrastructure are how you get things done. It might be a pain in the ass when a few unions get together to protest over here and the taxi drivers or the bus drivers join in out of solidarity, but that is the reason workers still have any of the power that they do. In the states, that shit has been pretty much snuffed out since Reagan broke up the Air-Traffic Controllers strike. You don't generally have protest like this and that's why these people need to protest now so that can simply live from working their job.

 

[Saltyk]

Let's put it this way. I went to see a friend yesterday and had trouble with the area's local Chirstmas Parade blocking my usual route. That annoyed me as I had to remember the long way around in an area I rarely travel in, at night, with heavier than normal traffic (and that area tends to have heavy traffic in general), and with no idea where the parade began and ended.

I'm not okay with people getting in the way of others who have their own concerns to worry about. Parents have to get home to their children. People need to go to the doctor and hospital. The police need to answer emergency calls. Your protest may be important, but that doesn't make those things less important.

Captcha: Clear Sailing
Man, Captcha has a sense of humor.

 

[KazeAizen]

Never. I don't give a fuck what you're protesting, you do not stop a business from profiting, or shut down an entire fucking highway cause "our issue is important *whine*. Every protester who does should be arrested. It's selfish, childish, and an asshole way to protest.

Pretty much this.

If you're going to protest by walking down a highway I'll counter your protest by running you over on that same highway.

Contrary to popular belief, protesting doesn't make you the most important person in the universe and the fact that you're screwing over a bunch of completely unrelated people is unacceptable.

If you want to protest fast food wages do so in front of fast food establishments, if you want to protest police shooting then protest outside of police stations. There is never a reason to shut down major roads over your protest.

How else will they get people's attention though? You protest in a park and don't do something that might say inconvience people then no one really pays attention. They'll just be "Aw that's cute." and move on. Clog up roads or highways and people will start paying attention. I mean it was a different era but this is kind of what the civil rights leaders did back in the 60s. I just think its been so long since something like this happened that the U.S. citizens have forgotten.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

And with an attitude like that, is it any small wonder why these sorts are being looked upon with disdain and contempt more so than anything else?

If you're going to advocate behaving in such a way then you're tacitly admitting to knowingly undermining your position of 'moral superiority.' It's downright foolish and does not help the cause.

Behaving in what way? Having the belief that sometimes people need to demand their rights by protesting on the street, rather than begging and cajoling? If you think that's a reason to look upon someone with disdain and contempt then it's little wonder nothing ever changes.

It's your attitude that's the problem and it's obviously informing the behavior.

When you say things like,

spoon feeding honey to entitled jerks may not be an option

and

I can just vaguely hope that one day when they or a loved one are murdered by cops, or left to die by a gutted healthcare system, or in a war torn country waiting for their papers to be processed so they can be "legitimate" refugees

You come off as exactly the type of self-righteous sort, lacking in both self-awareness and seemingly devoid of basic empathy, that I wouldn't want anything to do with, let alone march beside, regardless of the worth of the cause.

I repeat: It's downright foolish and does not help. You don't belittle, insult, or harm the people you're trying to convert.

You certainly get attention. Plenty of it. It's just not the sort of attention that, in any way, helps. It's the sort of attention that prompts otherwise moderate folk to view you and your ilk as a problem or an annoyance and not a solution.

By all means protest. Protesting needs to happen for a variety of reasons. I'm actually fine with some forms of inconvenient protest. How you go about it, however, sends a far stronger message than simply being noticed. I draw the line at shutting down infrastructure or violence. Both of those have the potential to harm people; the former possibly, the latter definitely.

But, hey, I can just vaguely hope that these people or their loved ones bleed out in an ambulance because some jackass with a picket sign and an, at best, dubious understanding of what exactly he's 'protesting' decided to park his ass on I-10 for an hour.

What with it apparently being morally justifiable to hope for misfortunes to visit others who've done nothing wrong and all.

 

[babinro]

Never. I don't give a fuck what you're protesting, you do not stop a business from profiting, or shut down an entire fucking highway cause "our issue is important *whine*. Every protester who does should be arrested. It's selfish, childish, and an asshole way to protest.

This.

To me, protesting is about giving an issue awareness and NOT about disrupting the daily lives and livelihoods of complete strangers/companies. To promote healthy protesting, I think it's important for the media to report on it ESPECIALLY when it's none disruptive.

The goal is to share what people think. If the media can help them do this and promote it when it's done right then it promotes good behavior and everyone wins.

More to the point...a protester should not be giving the authority to do things regular people could not. They should not be above the law. Protesters should not be able to get away with blocking a highway for the same reason that I can't simply get away with having a family picnic on a hwy.