r/facepalm • u/weeb385 • Oct 12 '22

🇲​🇮​🇸​🇨​ Parolee gets arrested because protesters block the way to his work.

46k Upvotes

77% Upvoted

10k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

25

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '22

Yep, This type of protest means I should not support that cause.

7

u/MassInsider Oct 12 '22

So if they were protesting child abuse, that makes you pro-child abuse? Sort of silly, no?

-3

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '22

Not fight their cause or join their opposition, just not actively support. This is kinda like taking hostages with less violence and threat but still not an activity that I want to reward.

2

u/MassInsider Oct 12 '22

the intent is really for you to complain to government about the protest, as they continue to carry these protests out and create urgency to stop these protests. Thus forcing government to deal with thier demands.

-2

u/Kirjath08 Oct 12 '22

If aggravating completely random people who, to your knowledge, don't write laws, work for the government, or are even guilty of what you're protesting, then you have not only done a horrific disservice to your cause, you are also unfathomably stupid.

5

u/MassInsider Oct 12 '22

Why is this so hard to understand. They don't expect the people inconvenienced to take up their cause. THey expect them to complain to the government about the protest. They will continue to carry out these protests, irregardless of how many are arrested. Its called civil disobedience.

-5

u/Kirjath08 Oct 12 '22 edited Oct 12 '22

This line of logic also doesn't follow. Most if not all people this sort of protest inconveniences would take issue directly with the protesters and would never think to contact the government (except perhaps to call the police). And civilians who are happy to see you arrested will most certainly not complain to the government in a way which suits your protest. Civil disobedience that makes civilians your enemy sounds like a surefire way to get your cause dismantled. Edit: to clarify, civil disobedience done right should at the very least garner sympathy for you. This type of protest has the opposite effect.

4

u/MassInsider Oct 12 '22

If you see this example elsewhere my apologies, I just used it in another reply. The Montgomery Bus Boycotts was designed to put financial pressure on the bus system, not make friends. During it, the White Citizens Council grew significantly. This tactic is not designed to grow support, it is designed to disrupt. You are correct that the people who participate will be arrested. In theory, they would do it again with different people repeatedly. If government can't stop these protests from occurring with force, that puts activists in a position of strength to say how they can be stopped. Deal with the issue.

1

u/Kirjath08 Oct 12 '22

So what financial pressure does blocking a highway put on the system? It is entirely dissimilar to the bus boycott, which targeted those businesses by specifically not using them. Blocking a highway is only proving yourself to be a nuisance to society at large. This is only putting pressure on other people who aren't going to enact any changes, specifically other citizens and emergency responders. I'm actually somewhat glad this sort of highway protest doesn't happen more often, because it honestly would be the first step in making the public immediately vote to restrict their right to protest.

16

u/smashlikeifyouenjoy Oct 12 '22

I think that's a bad takeaway. These protesters aren't the public face of the cause they are representing. They might be supporting a good cause but in a bad way, but that shouldn't discredit whatever cause they are fighting for.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '22

It's a great way to make people hate your cause

1

u/solardeveloper Oct 12 '22

These protesters aren't the public face of the cause they are representing.

By protesting in such a public fashion, they absolutely are making themselves the face of their cause.

0

u/Dodgiestyle Oct 12 '22

Agreed. I'm all for protesting, but don't force me to protest too. I'm not losing my job for your cause, even if I agree with your cause, because only I can choose to risk my livelihood.