1. To me of protest are to be sustainable catalysts for social change they have to accomplish a few things:

a. Raise awareness and media coverage of an issue that is underreported.

b. Peacefully vent group anger.

c. Leaders with policy recommendations.

d. Change minds

2. Protests are fickle instruments of change though. They can derail in disasterous ways. That happens when:

a. Protestors become like a guest who overstaying their welcome.

b. The goals of the protest are lost and the act of protesting becomes a goal in itself.

d. Death

3. Protests may originate with leadership and a defined plan and goals. But often they don’t and even when they do, they have some key vulnerabilities for bad actors to hijack them for nefarious ends both internally and externally.

4. I’m for protests. I’m not calling on the end to any of them. I am posting this thread so folks will ask themselves if they’re out protesting: did the goals make it on the media radar? Did political and business leaders hear them? (not did they act, a longer term project)

5. If the answer to those questions is yes, or alternatively if the goals have been lost or the cause hikacked, maybe it’s time to move to the lobbying phase of the fight for social change. Protests are empowering. I’m participate in most. But we ought not lose sight of the goals