• chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    143
    arrow-down
    46
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    I have a real problem with this, and I’ve been on both sides of it. It really doesn’t do anything to help your cause by having people stuck in traffic. There are many reasons that someone could be in their car at that moment, not just commuting to or from a job. They could be on their way to a court appointment, they could have dinner in the car, they could be going to pick their child up from school, they could be on their way to a doctor’s appointment, or any of a million other reasons that make this not just an inconvenience, but a complete shithead thing for someone to put someone else through. Protestors aren’t making their case against the war by pissing off every person stuck in traffic, they are just being dickheads. If you want to protest a war, go hang out outside of a government building, or in front of an elected official’s house. Make them feel uncomfortable, not some poor schmuck who has somewhere else to be at the moment.

    Edit: Ok, I guess I need to give a peaceful example. You want to block traffic? Block the exits to the parking garage where the elected officials park downtown. Do that for a week and see how much of an impact you make. Blocking commuters is a waste of energy.

    • witten@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      82
      arrow-down
      23
      ·
      8 months ago

      I don’t think the goal is to convince the people stuck in the artificially created traffic about Gaza. I think it’s to get news coverage from sites like nbcnews.com so as to raise the profile of the Gaza war so that politicians must address it. You are welcome to argue whether that’s an effective strategy, but I think that’s the intent.

      Also, side note… Social progress rarely comes from rule following.

      • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        44
        arrow-down
        20
        ·
        8 months ago

        Is the profile not high enough? I’m pretty sure everyone knows about it who needs to know about it. Blocking traffic isn’t going to make a ceasefire happen across the world. Annoying your fellow citizens and ruining their day isn’t getting any politicians to act. It’s pointless. Actions must be taken against those in charge if we want to see any forward progress. Blocking traffic to protest a war is like yelling at a frycook because you want the McRib back. The actions are being aimed at the wrong people.

        • CleoTheWizard@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          14
          arrow-down
          12
          ·
          8 months ago

          counterpoint: the people who would enact this change are far beyond our reach as citizens so there is no way to target them with effective protests.

          Besides, some of the best way to affect policy is to A. Cost large businesses money or B. To cause general unrest over an issue. Both of these things will piss your fellow American off but this is how protests work nowadays.

          I think most protestors don’t want to block cars of normal people or throw paint onto paintings or whatever. But they have to because if you look at the laws, organized protest has no bite anymore. Go ahead, annoy the politicians, they’ll just arrest your outside of their house and no one will hear about your issue.

          • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            12
            arrow-down
            6
            ·
            8 months ago

            That’s the problem. No one is actually doing anything worthwhile. You are right, standing outside the mayors house will get you arrested. Do it anyway. Get arrested. You want to make big moves for your cause, do something worth being arrested over. Imagine if all of those people on the bridge yesterday had been blocking traffic to the mayors neighborhood instead. What are they gonna do, arrest a thousand people in a suburb street? That’s a fucking news story. Blocking a bridge is bullshit, it carries no weight because there is nothing on the line. Congrats, you fucked up a half million people’s day, I guess someone should call the genocide off, now.

            • CleoTheWizard@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              8
              arrow-down
              9
              ·
              8 months ago

              What do you mean it carries no weight? That was my entire point. Make the public mad, the angry public starts yelling at the mayor. The business owners whose workers can’t get to the office start getting rather upset. Whereas if a minority inconvenience a politician, cool, but they don’t care. They will just find ways to avoid it. And in this case, you don’t have access to politicians that hold weight in regard to Gaza.

              Go ahead, egg your senators house, they don’t live there most of the time. Threaten to vote them out, they run unopposed. The ways in which to express political efforts is now so narrow that stuff like blocking a bridge has become almost inevitable.

              • FarmTaco@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                7
                arrow-down
                4
                ·
                8 months ago

                I do not think we live in the same world, where someone being late to their job will make the business owner consider political change.

          • guacupado@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            8
            arrow-down
            5
            ·
            8 months ago

            counterpoint: the people who would enact this change are far beyond our reach as citizens so there is no way to target them with effective protests

            Literally go to the capitols instead. Or go to their houses. Some place that actually effects them rather than complete laymen.

            • Psychodelic@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              arrow-down
              3
              ·
              8 months ago

              Seriously! Protesting has never accomplished anything ever and is totally useless unless it’s done explicitly for politicians that are totally receptive and eager to assist their constituents!

      • guacupado@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        14
        arrow-down
        8
        ·
        8 months ago

        I think it’s to get news coverage from sites like nbcnews.com so as to raise the profile of the Gaza war so that politicians must address it.

        Right… because the global leaders of the world aren’t already aware of what’s going on. Thanks for raising awareness, guys.

        • witten@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          arrow-down
          7
          ·
          8 months ago

          It’s about the public discourse. If an issue (e.g. the U.S. giving Israel weapons and enabling their war) disappears from the headlines, it’s much easier for politicians to ignore it. But if the issue keeps coming up, politicians feel pressure to act–or they risk getting voted out of office. Especially during an election year.

      • aeronmelon@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        68
        arrow-down
        18
        ·
        8 months ago

        They’re not in front of the White House, they’re not even in front of city hall, they’re hurting their own.

        The King loves it when the peasants fight amongst themselves.

      • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        33
        arrow-down
        10
        ·
        8 months ago

        Not sure if you are agreeing with me or not, but that is exactly what I’m saying. Right now, blocking traffic is about as easy for the “king” to ignore as anything else.

    • Otakulad@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      23
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      8 months ago

      Completely agree. Blocking the average Joe driving home will get attention, but potentially for the wrong reason. I think your edit is perfect. Inconvenience those in power that can do something about it now, not someone who can really only do something when voting.

    • Aceticon@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      26
      arrow-down
      14
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      The objective is to appear in the News, which will result in way more people becoming aware of just how many people are against what Israel is doing in Gaza and the US Administration’s support of it, which in turn will lead others to become more open about they themselves being against it since they will feel that “we are many” rather than “it’s just me” - grassroots movements independent of established politicial and media networks, no matter how many potential supporters they have, must be seen in order to grow otherwise they’ll just fizzle away and nothing will change.

      That usually means some kind of stunt in an important and highly public place which is almost certain to affect lots of members of the public.

      Barelly disturbing a handful of politicians as you suggest would not make the News unless the Press was already there for some other reason and it would still have to be some kind of stunt (think the Iraqi guy that threw his shoe at George Bush) for the Press to even mention it in the news.

      Unfortunatelly in the World we live in people have to use marketing strategies to merelly be seen, more so to have soap box to be heard by the rest of the nation, especially in Theatre Of Democracy countries were the “choice” is either pre-selected A or pre-selected B, and were the Press is not at all a Pillar Of Democracy independent of the Political Pillar but is pretty much joined at the hip with Political and/or Wealth Powers.

      If it had the kind of Political and Press environment were those things could just be done the way you naivelly (or maybe misleadingly) suggest, the US would be quite a different place in terms of Power, Voice and Representativeness and not one where the only electoral “choice” is between two genocide-loving presidential candidates.

      • guacupado@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        8 months ago

        That usually means some kind of stunt in an important and highly public place which is almost certain to affect lots of members of the public.

        Yeah, but you’re not getting public support. You’re getting the opposite.

    • Riccosuave@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      23
      arrow-down
      17
      ·
      8 months ago

      /agree

      I fully support the cause, but this just ain’t the way to effectively protest the system. I feel the same way about the climate activists throwing soup on art instalation (yes I know they are all protected, but to the average person you still look like an ignorant fucking asshole).

      If you want to spur change, then you need to make it uncomfortable for your representatives to take a public position than conflicts with your ethics. Do so peacefully, but forcefully and as often as is feasible. You are much more likely to garner public support that way, and normies generally love anything that make politicians look bad.

      • tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        Why peacefully? Just today the IDF attacked a playground with an airstrike killing a group of children playing in broad daylight. It would be unbelievable if there wasn’t clear footage of it and numerous similar attacks. US supplied weapons, funded by our taxes, cheered on by our political establishment. Stopping traffic isn’t going nearly far enough.

    • CliveRosfield@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      24
      arrow-down
      19
      ·
      8 months ago

      I feel bad for the people in traffic but the protestors only get to this state because of repeatedly being ignored by the government. If normal protests aren’t cutting it anymore and you don’t want to be violent then what options do you really have? They (gov) just don’t listen.

      • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        27
        arrow-down
        17
        ·
        8 months ago

        Protest where it is effective, not where it gets you the most social media clout. Blocking traffic is the protesting equivalent of a selfie. Make some noise near an elected official, and often. See how quickly they change their attitude when they are the ones being fucked with.

        • Aceticon@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          arrow-down
          11
          ·
          edit-2
          8 months ago

          I would love to know what Universe you live in where quiet polite demos in out of the way places get reported on the news and come to the attention of all the other 334,912,895 people in the US that didn’t see it personally.

          • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            14
            arrow-down
            7
            ·
            8 months ago

            Oh, you’re right. I forgot the real point of protesting. I’ve been living my life thinking it’s a public demonstration designed to let those in power know you are dissatisfied with how things are happening. Now I understand, though. It’s performance art for the last stay at home mom in Michigan who hasn’t heard about the war. We gotta get her to stop making that mayonnaise salad and start an aluminum drive for the war effort. Thanks for clearing it up. If I ever have a problem with anything in the future I’ll know not to go to the person in charge, I’ll just run into traffic and shake my ass at onlookers until the world changes for me. That’s gonna make things a lot easier from here on out.

            • Aceticon@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              6
              arrow-down
              11
              ·
              edit-2
              8 months ago

              Were you born yesterday?!

              Because only somebody born yesterday would believe those in power in a trully Democratic nation (much less America, which is a Power Duopoly system, not a genuine Democracy) would care in any way form or shape with the concerns expressed by a few thousand people demonstrating politelly in an out of way place where their polite “expression of concern” did not even made the News.

              If you’re lucky (in the US, you have to be very, very, VERY lucky), they might care about not losing the votes needed to keep on being elected, which in a country of more than 300 million people means caring about Public Opinion, not about politelly expressed concerns of a few thousand demonstrators that the rest of Americans aren’t even aware off and who clearly if their concerns aren’t addressed won’t do anything more than politelly demonstrate in a way that the politicians can carry on safelly ignoring forever.

              Are you even old enough to understand that mere Passive Agressiveness doesn’t actually work as a means to get your way with people who have way more power than you do and don’t know you well enough to empathise with your (or who are just sociopaths, so wouldn’t care even if they did know you)?!

              It’s quite extraordinary how when it comes to Politics in America there is this abundance of brainwashed unthinking drones spreading the idea that the only way to improve America is to keep on pulling your pants down and saying “Give it to me big boy!” whenever an American politician does something people disagree with, or maybe bark loudly but never bite, just like puny dogs like chiwuawas do.

              • FarmTaco@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                6
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                8 months ago

                Are you even old enough to understand that mere Passive Agressiveness doesn’t actually work as a means to get your way with people who have way more power than you do and don’t know you well enough to empathise with your (or who are just sociopaths, so wouldn’t care even if they did know you)?!

                you definitely arnt old enough to know that it actually has gotten results. Worldwide. Mahatma Gandhi? segregation sit ins? white feather movement of the UK? and these are only off the top of my head.

                Its quite extraordinary how when it comes to Politics in America, there is this abundance of brainwashed unthinking drones spreading the idea that the only way to improve America is to keep on dragging down others and saying “Why arnt you fixing this for me?” whenever an American politician does something people disagree with, or maybe bark loudly but never bite, just like puny dogs like chihuahuas***** do.

                • Aceticon@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  arrow-down
                  8
                  ·
                  8 months ago

                  Oh right, the countless Revolutions that came about by not causing any bother to anybody. How could I forget those.

                  By the way you might want to read more about Ghandi if you think all he did was not bother anybody.

          • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            13
            arrow-down
            7
            ·
            8 months ago

            In some fat elected officials face. Probably about as far away from all of those people stuck in traffic as they can be.

            • grue@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              7
              arrow-down
              12
              ·
              8 months ago

              Non-responsive.

              Give a specific answer, not vague bullshit.

              • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                11
                arrow-down
                7
                ·
                8 months ago

                Find an elected official. Follow them to where they are meeting their mistress for a meal before heading to a hotel to fuck. Call the boys. Protest outside of the restaurant so the news is sure to catch the congressman running around on his wife. Make it inconvenient to be a lawmaker. Is that specific enough for you?

          • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            8 months ago

            They just told you. At the politician not in the road like a coward who didn’t get enough attention when they were a kid

      • BURN@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        It’s not going to get the government to listen by doing this either. It’s completely ineffective and just pisses people off and actively stops them from supporting a cause.

    • capem@startrek.website
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      14
      ·
      8 months ago

      It’s so easy to complain about people protesting genocide when they stop you from going to work to fund the genocide.

    • daltotron@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      8 months ago

      I dunno I mean I would normally oppose this on principle, but I do kind of agree. This does stop all local traffic at the golden gate bridge, but it doesn’t really do anything to incentivize that politicians controlling the funding of israel at (mostly) the federal level to change course. Unless we maybe saw floyd-level protests happening across the nation, or something. This specific kind of protest is most effective when addressing local or state level problems, because local or state level leaders are more easily strongarmed, especially as they’re about to pass bad legislation. The threat of further property damage can be used as leverage which can influence local decisions. Local protests are better used against local targets, and target selection is crucial, basically, though that applies more to mass protests, this seems more like a smaller group.

      It probably would’ve been better to go after a lockheed martin facility, or something to that effect, but obviously that comes with a much, much greater deal of risk. Probably the softest points to push on would be something like a higher-up, or the infrastructure going into and immediately around a facility, especially with such a small group. It’s not as though the locations of weapons manufacturers aren’t publically known, or accessible, or that there aren’t many different, small, critical pieces, including people, that go into the manufacture of advanced weaponry.

  • Maggoty@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    120
    arrow-down
    30
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    ITT- You’re allowed your first amendment right to protest war crimes, just not where I can see or be inconvenienced. Because all of the civil rights and anti war protests in the past 70 years that were truly successful were very polite and inconvenienced no one.

    • BlitzoTheOisSilent@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      107
      arrow-down
      8
      ·
      8 months ago

      MLK Jr. literally wrote about this exact same thing in his Letter from Birmingham jail.

      that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a ‘more convenient season.’ ”

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        32
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        Yeah I remember reading that in college. He wasn’t the bland platitudes guy high schools teach.

        • grue@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          33
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          He was also assassinated right after he started pivoting from civil rights to economic inequality (starting the Poor People’s Campaign). Funny coincidence, that.

          • Gabu@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            8 months ago

            If it were today, he would’ve “commited suicide” with a shot to the back of the head.

      • Zess@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        20
        arrow-down
        39
        ·
        8 months ago

        Stopping traffic on the Golden Gate bridge to protest a genocide on the other side of the planet is so far from direct action.

        • TheCoralReefsAreDying69@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          32
          arrow-down
          7
          ·
          8 months ago

          When the state responsible for the genocide is reliant on our military aid its disingenuous to refer to it as a “genocide on the other side of the planet”

          • Zess@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            12
            arrow-down
            27
            ·
            8 months ago

            It’s realistic. And these protesters could be realistic and maybe even effective if they tried to disrupt production of that aid we’re sending to Israel. But I’m pretty sure F-15s aren’t made on a bridge.

            • diffusive@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              20
              arrow-down
              4
              ·
              8 months ago

              There is difference between peaceful protest and sabotage. Exactly like there is a difference between discussing with someone and punch them in the face.

              If you think people should not discuss because it’s pointless and should directly switch to punch in the face I suspect you are not necessarily the internet stranger I want to listen to

              • FarmTaco@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                3
                arrow-down
                8
                ·
                8 months ago

                disrupting production is sabotage?

                disrupting production is sabotage, but disrupting the economic health of a city is…?

                at least you would be inconveniencing people that have a stake

        • strawberrysocial@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          8 months ago

          I wish they cared this much about the people suffering in Sudan right now… Where’s the mass protests for those people…

    • guacupado@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      30
      arrow-down
      35
      ·
      8 months ago

      I mean, the people they’re irritating aren’t the ones that can do anything about it. All you’re doing is pissing everyone off. Go to your state’s capitol and fuck that place up instead.

      • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        33
        arrow-down
        11
        ·
        8 months ago

        I mean, it sucks to get inconvenienced by stuff like this. But the goal is to make nations hurt economically for supporting the Palestinian genocide.

        Most of the other options available would probably injure or kill innocent people. Like, you’re not gonna make a difference without some casualties. Better that casualty be an afternoon instead of your life.

          • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            8
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            8 months ago

            No. I assume you’re talking about Hamas.

            I don’t support them, but they exist because Israel turned Gaza into a nursery for terrorist cells. I suspect they did it on purpose. They don’t give a shit how many civilians die as a result; they need terrorists cells so they can justify their genocide to the rest of the world.

            As far as I’m concerned every drop of blood Hamas spills is on Netanyahu’s hands.

      • Jamil@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        33
        arrow-down
        15
        ·
        8 months ago

        Pissing people off is irrelevant. You’re irrelevant. You will not be swayed. You have demonstrated that after 6 months of innocent deaths. Even if 100,000 children die. 1 million children die. You’re selfish and lazy.

        This is direct action, it’s about adding a financial cost to the government’s direction. They’ve decided supporting a genocide is more financially beneficial than pursuing justice. If we shut it all down, they’ll change their tune.

      • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        27
        arrow-down
        14
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        Interrupting labor is the most peaceful way to threaten the capitalist class. If you object to this, you advocate for more extreme measures. Be careful what you wish for.

        • 24_at_the_withers@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          17
          arrow-down
          24
          ·
          8 months ago

          This argument completely ignores the impact this has on regular people. People who end up late to pick up their kids from daycare and end up owing extra money when they can barely make ends meet as it is. Yeah, this may have some marginal impact on the capitalist class, but it will be far more painful for the employees who WILL be held accountable for being late to work and may easily end up fired, and certainly will not be paid for the time they miss. Let alone the life safety issues this type of demonstration creates. This is holding your peers ransom because of something you want and you take away their autonomy to decide whether or not to take part. If you can’t convince people to join your cause willingly, maybe your cause isn’t as good as you think it is.

      • grue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        20
        arrow-down
        11
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        If you want the inconvenient protests to stop, fucking join them so that the change happens quicker.

        • Iceblade@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          10
          ·
          8 months ago

          Right… because antagonizing and harming people is such a great way to convince them to help you.

          • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            3
            ·
            8 months ago

            Worked for Mandela and the African National Congress.

            After taking part in the unsuccessful protest to prevent the forced relocation of all black people from the Sophiatown suburb of Johannesburg in February 1955, Mandela concluded that violent action would prove necessary to end apartheid and white minority rule. Link

      • Ellecram@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Yes I agree. A coordinated approach at all state capitals and Washington, DC would probably have more impact. This is where the people who care about reelected live and work.

      • Soulg@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        19
        arrow-down
        18
        ·
        8 months ago

        Nah, it’s random people who are at fault. How dare they have jobs or other things to do

        • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          18
          arrow-down
          13
          ·
          8 months ago

          Those people aren’t at fault in any meaningful sense no. But collectively their labor keeps everything running. To interrupt labor is to interrupt the means with which the capitalist class commit their atrocities.

      • explodicle@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        10
        ·
        8 months ago

        Sure we can do something about it. We can vote against anyone who supports the genocide.

        The state level goverment doesn’t have as much impact on foreign policy as federal does.

        Legislatures are persuaded by polls and bribes, not by reason or empathy.

    • daltotron@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      12
      ·
      8 months ago

      Maybe I’m just fedposting, but I think probably my only objection to this protest is that it wasn’t extreme enough, and I don’t think it accomplished as much as it probably could’ve considering all the people protesting got arrested anyways. Probably a good amount of caltrops on the bridge and a bunch of cards or spray paint could’ve accomplished about the same goal, and I dunno if anyone would’ve even been arrested that way. Probably would take less in resources, too.

      That’s if you even looking at the same target, I dunno if shutting down the golden gate bridge is a great thing to hit up if you’re looking to protest gaza. I would probably think one of many even local politician’s domiciles, city halls, or lockheed martin manufacturing plants, offices, infrastructure, etc. would be better things to hit. I dunno of the economic or social impact or protesting at the golden gate bridge for what is basically an afternoon is going to put anyone under duress. Maybe the most you could say of it is that it’s a mild social escalation, which, granted, isn’t nothing, but is less direct and is harder to quantify the impact of.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        8 months ago

        They arrest them to clear the bridge. They tried to charge the ones in 2023 with ridiculous stuff but they eventually dropped all the charges in exchange for 5 hours community service. Don’t give them the ammo they need to actually lock up protestors.

    • Zess@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      35
      ·
      8 months ago

      Did they have a permit to protest on a public road? Freedom of assembly comes with some perfectly rational stipulations.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        19
        arrow-down
        10
        ·
        8 months ago

        I’m sorry I didn’t see the word permit in the first amendment. I’m getting old enough to need glasses. Maybe I should try with them?

        Nope, still no such requirement.

        • WldFyre@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          8 months ago

          That’s like arguing exceptions for hate speech shouldn’t exist since it’s not in the first amendment.

          • Maggoty@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            8 months ago

            The US doesn’t have exceptions for hate speech. Unless you actively commit a crime while shouting it.

        • Zess@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          12
          arrow-down
          14
          ·
          8 months ago

          Didn’t see anything about age requirements in the second but it’s illegal to sell a gun to a kid. Crazy how things work.

          • Maggoty@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            10
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            8 months ago

            Historically kids have never been afforded Constitutional rights. Which is kind of crazy. Almost as crazy as making the idea of kids owning guns equivalent to the bedrock right of a Democracy.

            • Zess@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              8
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              8 months ago

              Just trying to show that there’s more to the rights in the Bill of Rights than just the text of the Bill of Rights.

          • eskimofry@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            8 months ago

            To make it illegal to fight for lives vs. Fighting for right to own a gun are not the same. I guess nuance is not your forte?

    • Woht24@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      36
      arrow-down
      22
      ·
      8 months ago

      Mm and how has the average San Franciscan contributed to a war on the other side of the planet?

    • spyd3r@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      8 months ago

      If all these losers love palestine so much, they should go live there, and see for themselves what a beacon of western liberal values it is.

    • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      20
      ·
      8 months ago

      Ah yes collective justice. Punish the population for what their government did. Hmm this feels familiar, is something like that happening somewhere else in world right now?

      Be wary of fighting monsters, lest you become a monster.

      • machineLearner@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        12
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        8 months ago

        yes bro. Your morning or afternoon commute becoming an hour longer is equivilant to having your people wiped off the face of the earth. Truly they can’t see this hypocrisy for what it is!!

        • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          9
          ·
          edit-2
          8 months ago

          Ah yes Schrodinger’s protest. It is at once not a big deal and at the same time a big deal that will cause change.

          Hey just curious, when you were being taught in school to raise awareness did they maybe mention something about how the process of abstraction works? No? Ok, guess it is my job. A =/ B, just because A does not equal B does not mean have nothing in common.

          Edit: never mind, just noticed you are using an alt-account. Makes sense now.

      • jkrtn@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        8 months ago

        [Looking at protesters blocking traffic] is this genocide?

          • jkrtn@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            8 months ago

            [Guy who thinks blocking a road is genocide]: If you want to be taken seriously…

            • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              5
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              8 months ago

              Again.

              Both acts are punishing a civilian population for the actions of their government. That doesn’t mean they are morally or on the same scale equivalent, it does mean they are examples of the same kind of behavior.

              You seem really preoccupied by how you are seen.

              • jkrtn@lemmy.ml
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                3
                arrow-down
                6
                ·
                8 months ago

                One is a state entity committing genocide and the other is a small group with zero legislative backing committing a traffic obstruction. You are really preoccupied with your idiotic classification tho.

                [Teacher holding all the kids in from recess] “hmm this is also genocide hmm same behavior.”

                • FarmTaco@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  5
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  8 months ago

                  You used the word genocide btw not him. not all collective punishment has to be to the death.

    • kamenoko@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      14
      ·
      8 months ago

      The Hamas genocide of 1200 civilians in Israel? Or using their populace as human shields in Gaza?

  • ReiRose@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    30
    arrow-down
    11
    ·
    8 months ago

    Is this comments section: “fuck shit up, society isn’t working,” vs “follow the rules when you protest, that’s how you make change happen.”

    • Woht24@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      27
      ·
      8 months ago

      This is such a pathetic attempt at both.

      You didn’t fuck any shit up and if the government, police etc really wanted to, they certainly could’ve fucked them up. Go hard or go home, blocking a bridge on another country is completely idiotic.

      They probably pissed some Israelis off who will purposely go shoot some kids over it.

      • grue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        9
        ·
        8 months ago

        You didn’t fuck any shit up

        Oh really? Then why are the car-brains so incredibly triggered?

        Seems like this protest really struck a nerve. There’s so much whining going on in this thread precisely because of how successful it was.

  • Simon@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    22
    arrow-down
    10
    ·
    8 months ago

    Can’t wait to watch all the redditors who mostly don’t commute or don’t drive have a collective aneurysm over this.

    • dhork@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      20
      ·
      8 months ago

      Honestly, Bay Area commuters who use that bridge regularly probably couldn’t tell the difference

      • nutsack@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        it goes nowhere. some wacko billionaire mansion town, some wizards house…

  • Veraxus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    35
    arrow-down
    29
    ·
    8 months ago

    There has got to be a way to do this without hurting regular people.

    Like I agree with the protestors 100%… but trapping people on a bridge? Blocking traffic? That’s dangerous and irresponsible.

    Direct action and disruption is necessary, but this is absolutely the wrong way to do it.

      • Veraxus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        The protests that Google employees are doing right now is the right way.

        Protest in front of politicians homes, businesses, etc. Protest in front of companies and businesses that are complicit. Target the people who have clout.

        Actions that harm only the general public… how is that supposed to work? What do you think the end result will be?

    • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      8 months ago

      Liberalism: Every protest is in history was righteous, except for the current one which affects me.

      • Veraxus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        Leftism: The proletariat harming the proletariat is worse than ineffective, it is self-defeating.

        • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          Maybe as leftists, we should protest against the bourgeoisie instead of each other, but that might inconvenience some people.

    • Otkaz@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      26
      arrow-down
      27
      ·
      8 months ago

      Nothing like exercising your right to protest by infringing on everyone else’s right to travel freely.

      • TangledHyphae@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        7
        ·
        8 months ago

        I’m still curious as to how people think a ceasefire will help, when historically letting terrorists proliferate has the opposite effect and only spreads more islamic terrorism and even more deaths long term. Do people really want to keep this revolving door of teaching palestinian children to murder their neighbors?

  • Ultragigagigantic@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    8 months ago

    First Past The Post voting ensures these people remain unrepresented in the political process. We must pass electoral reform in each of our states so we can have more people represented.

  • Fades@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    8 months ago

    Things like this are merely performative and will only make enemies, not enact change anyway

    • duffman@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      It seems to empower opposition to the cause as well. Also, in Washington this has happened enough we have legislation to increase the penalty for blocking infrastructure.

      Its horrible what’s happening to Palestinians why do people keep pretenting the war can’t end at any moment if hamas surrenders and releases the hostages. Iran orchestrates this shit but has the far left wrapped around their finger protesting Israel and the US.

  • grue@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    26
    arrow-down
    27
    ·
    8 months ago

    ITT: car-brains who think being inconvenienced justifies murder

    • cm0002@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      Ah yes, risk of getting fired and losing your livelihood after getting stuck on a bridge = “inconvenienced”

      • grue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        10
        ·
        8 months ago

        So you think getting fired justifies murder? WTF is wrong with you?

        • cm0002@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          Oh yea, sorry forgot that the people who are worried about losing their jobs are also the same kind of people who have Biden’s personal cell number…

          I never said it did, but nearly all of us don’t have the power to change shit except for voting in November.

          • grue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            5
            ·
            edit-2
            8 months ago

            The fuck are you talking about?

            Just to be clear, you’re defending people who think they’re entitled to run over and kill protestors in order to get to work. (Specifically, comments like this one.) People who are so fucked in the head by car-brain that they think they’re being “held hostage” because the notion of simply getting out of the motherfucking vehicle and walking doesn’t even occur to them.

            That’s what you’re defending: being a murderous psychopath pulverizing humans with a two-ton machine, for the heinous crime of (checks notes) getting in your way in the course of trying to stop a genocide.

        • DrDominate@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          6
          ·
          8 months ago

          And honestly if you get fired after your boss sees what’s happening on the news, you didn’t wanna work there anyways.

      • grue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Yeah, and that’s why they’re evil pieces of shit. What’s your point?

  • Hildegarde@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    33
    arrow-down
    55
    ·
    8 months ago

    I support any protest that blocks car traffic. The fact that the protesters are protesting something important is a nice bonus.

  • cumskin_genocide@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    35
    ·
    8 months ago

    I don’t care what you’re protesting. But it should be done in a way where I don’t have to hear about it or see it.