[thechat] protests?

[Tara Cleveland]

> At 16:17 21/03/2003 +0530, Madhu Menon wrote:
>> Except that hurting a few poor businesses doesn't help anything.
>> I believe in peaceful protest, but aren't there any laws to prevent
>> protestors from blocking traffic? How does getting someone late for work
>> teach the government a lesson?.

then Drew Shiel wrote:
> So about the only non-violent thing you can do that has an actual effect
> is to make an impact on taxes, by reducing the amount of business conducted.

The other thing is that people are often like sheep. If they feel that most
other people are dissatisfied with the government, they'll vote in someone
new. Same with the media (which obviously has a lot of influence over
voting). If they think that it's only a tiny group of people that is angry
then those people get painted as a "vocal minority" (which we all know is
code for a "group of crazy whackos"). Also, sometimes protesters block
traffic and such because the general population doesn't like it when
government decisions cause civil unrest, huge demonstrations, yelling in the
streets and blocked traffic. So, sometimes, even if they don't agree with
the reason people are protesting, they'll vote out the government because
they think that the government's management of issues was poor and that they
should have avoided doing whatever it was that pissed so many people off.

So those are some of the reasons traffic gets blocked. Also 'cause it's fun!
People power, dude! ;-)

Anyway, I don't think that it always hurts businesses. Some businesses get
huge amounts of people coming in. In fact coffee shops, restaurants etc. are
usually packed within a few block radius of any large rally (especially in
winter when everyone spends half their time at a rally getting hot coffee to
warm themselves up). For example, last night my mom and I went into the
Staples across the street from the US Consulate to get some stuff and then
after the demo went to a local restaurant to get some dinner. Neither of
those purchases would have happened if there were no rally. And a few
minutes of blocked traffic isn't going to seriously harm any business - and
shouldn't make anyone late. Most people end up turning their cars around and
going another way.

Regards,
Tara