Street protests;no arrests

[citylove101]

I'm sort of stunned here that some posters here either have never heard of or can't identify civil disobedience when it's staring them in the face. It's been a pretty heavily used strategy throught U.S. history, especially with the 1950s-1960s Civil Rights movement -- from whence BLM is taking its cues.

Yes, you DO disrupt the ordinary life of citizens to grab attention and make a point. You DO sit down in public places, block access to private places, close off streets, bridges, highways.

But you do this with knowledge aforethought that you may be arrested -- which most protestors, BLM, Occupy, or anyone else kows. This is the price you will pay to bring your agenda to people who would otherwise ignore you and pressure those in power to make some changes.

Civil disobedience has a long and storied history in the U.S. It's disheartening that some here are so ahistorical and/or hostile that they can't recognize that this strategy is as American as motherhood, baseball, and apple pie.

[Your_Lower_Back]

Originally Posted by citylove101

I'm sort of stunned here that some posters here either have never heard of or can't identify civil disobedience when it's staring them in the face. It's been a pretty heavily used strategy throught U.S. history, especially with the 1950s-1960s Civil Rights movement -- from whence BLM is taking its cues.

Yes, you DO disrupt the ordinary life of citizens to grab attention and make a point. You DO sit down in public places, block access to private places, close off streets, bridges, highways.

But you do this with knowledge aforethought that you may be arrested -- which most protestors, BLM, Occupy, or anyone else kows. This is the price you will pay to bring your agenda to people who would otherwise ignore you and pressure those in power to make some changes.

Civil disobedience has a long and storied history in the U.S. It's disheartening that some here are so ahistorical and/or hostile that they can't recognize that this strategy is as American as motherhood, baseball, and apple pie.

Just because we don't agree with that uncivilized, violent, unruly, and largely useless form of protest doesn't mean we don't recognize it. By the way, Civil disobedience was not founded in America, it comes from significantly less civilized countries and points in time. It is also breaking the law, so that's a great reason why many people disagree with it.

The fact of the matter is that no one has to consider it acceptable because it is illegal, and history has shown that quite a few innocent people have died as a result.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Your_Lower_Back

Just because we don't agree with that uncivilized, violent, unruly, and largely useless form of protest doesn't mean we don't recognize it. By the way, Civil disobedience was not founded in America, it comes from significantly less civilized countries and points in time. It is also breaking the law, so that's a great reason why many people disagree with it.

The fact of the matter is that no one has to consider it acceptable because it is illegal, and history has shown that quite a few innocent people have died as a result.

No one who engages in true civil disobedience can presume to avoid punishment. This is how civil disobedience works. Civil disobedience is the deliberate and conscious refusal to obey, or violation of, a law believed to be unjust. Civil disobedience has a long history and has played an important role in many activist traditions. Civil disobedience on the individual level tries to influence by example. When the injustices that a civil protest is intended to fight are so ingrained in society that they cannot be changed by lawful channels, then protests like these are inevitable and justified.

Note that the law should not be obeyed blindly in every case. Indeed, the police officer happily using excessive force is as much a law-breaker as the aggravating trespasser, and his or her culpability is actually much worse because of the coercive force they are abusing. We are, otoh, required to consider carefully the implications of any deliberate unlawful act. And we must be willing to accept the consequences of our actions. It is true that the rule of law is fundamental to a just and democratic society, but there are times when the ability to protest unjust laws becomes paramount.

[Diws]

Originally Posted by nana053

No one who engages in true civil disobedience can presume to avoid punishment.

Nor backlash. When public spaces are monopolized by the disorderly few, everyone else has every right to react. Rights are not exclusive to protesters.