This last Saturday, there was a peaceful protest of around 200 people held in DC in front of Congress. One of my friends attended this protest. Around 150 of them were arrested, and then given bullshit charges, like crowding, obstructing, incommoding, or resisting arrest (of what charge were they being arrested for, angering Trump...).*
When you try to "peacably protest", and "redress the government for a redress of grievances" and are arrested, detained for 6 hours, and then given a $25 citation of 'crowding' - what else do you do? Molotov Cocktails? AR-15's?
The answer, unfortunately, is nothing. You keep your job, eat decent food, and live a life under whomever the current 'king' is. And hope to the gods that nothing knocks you down to a lower socioeconomic ladder rung.
in europe a $50/year increase in public university tuition results in 500 burned police cars. In france you can legally kidnap your CEO as long as you feed him.
We have rules in place that allow the population to peacefully protest without interfering with the business of others. These people didn't follow the rules and were punished accordingly just like every other law on the books.
If you are unable to enact the change you want from within the system it's because not enough people agree with the change you are proposing.
Welcome to the complexities of Society.
If you don't want to participate you don't have to. Abandon the laws of man and return to the laws of nature. Just remember the law of nature demands conflict be resolved in the favor of the more powerful will. I doubt very much you would fair well.
So protest is fine as long as its easy to completely ignore?
Most of the great social and political progress in western nations has come from mass civil disobedience. You take that away and you begin to stagnate.
This last Saturday, there was a peaceful protest of around 200 people held in DC in front of Congress. One of my friends attended this protest. Around 150 of them were arrested, and then given bullshit charges, like crowding, obstructing, incommoding, or resisting arrest (of what charge were they being arrested for, angering Trump...).*
When you try to "peacably protest", and "redress the government for a redress of grievances" and are arrested, detained for 6 hours, and then given a $25 citation of 'crowding' - what else do you do? Molotov Cocktails? AR-15's?
The answer, unfortunately, is nothing. You keep your job, eat decent food, and live a life under whomever the current 'king' is. And hope to the gods that nothing knocks you down to a lower socioeconomic ladder rung.
* https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/police-ar...