
Ask HN: What is and isn't acceptable forms of protest? - mdgrech23
Interested in hearing the differing views of this community and your take on recent events in the states.
======
giantg2
No violence, no property destruction, a permit (if required for shutting down
streets).

------
tobltobs
As long as you can ignore it is ok. /s

------
austincheney
Unacceptable: that which violates the law or encourages others to do so.

Acceptable: just about everything else bearing in mind empathy and mutual
consideration of others.

------
vidro3
It would differ based on setting.

The idea that protests cannot be violent is strange to me. non-violence is a
particular strategy, not a requirement.

------
muzani
Malaysia is probably one of the few countries with actual successful protests.
We've had multiple government changes from it, including the British. And
peaceful measures worked better in getting rid of communism than violence.

What's important is to show that everyone agrees on a policy. Politicians are
social creatures. Colonists care about cost-benefit. Politicians only care
that they'll hold on to power; nobody wants to be backing the guy on his way
down.

I think most protests are not consistent enough. Protests are a marathon, they
need to be done over years, consistently. We had tear gas and chemical sprays
for the first years of corruption protests, but as time went on, the
protesters became more peaceful, and the police started to have sympathy for
them.

A good modern example is gay rights. I'm not sure if 'protest' is the best
word, but it has been done over many years and non-violently.

That said, it's not for all situations. Protesting Japanese occupation
resulted in rape and torture. Violence didn't work either.

------
meiraleal
If a form of protest is acceptable, it will be ignored by the
government/corporations/media unless it is to support its own agenda.

So violent protests against violent oppression is acceptable. Violence against
not violent issues are not acceptable (like vegans against farmers, eco-
activists protests, etc).

~~~
reducesuffering
Good luck with how subjective “violent oppression” would be used. The Nazis
would claim that

~~~
meiraleal
Violent oppression can only come from governments, who hold the "right" to use
violence against its own population. In America, this violence is mainly
directed to just one group, that decided to hise up, again.

