Are protests effective on you?

Question

First, this is not a debate on any persons right to protest or right to freedom of speech. This is more about what they accomplish on an individual level, specifically on YOU.

I am interested to know how much witnessing a protest effects your perspective on the issue being addressed by the protest. Do you feel a need to find out more about the issue? Do you become annoyed by the crowd? Do you feel they make the difference that the participants hope for? Do you feel it is more for the benefit of the protesters or the public who view it in progress?

The poll is to answer the question in the title, but I would be interested in your comments on the other questions to!

Answer

I love watching people exercise their rights especially if it is got a greater good. That means more to me than any flag, and pledge and any song.

Answer

If done in a respectful manner, even those that I disagree with I will stop, listen and possibly even have a conversation with a protester about their cause.

I'm like 100% less like to want to listen if someone is screaming through a bullhorn that I'm earning myself a one way ticket to eternal damnation.

Answer

No. I honestly really dislike them. I do not like crowds at all and I am always afraid of things escalating. I don't like when people scream, chant, or even clap loudly. I'm weird though so take that for what you will.

Answer

Nope. I honestly find protesting to be a nuisance and they usually have a negative effect on me. I think protests make the issue worse and theprotesters turn people off to the ideas they're trying to spread. Especially those in front of planned parenthood. I went with a friend for her abortion and someone actually tried pulling her out of the way so she couldn't get inside. I ended up slamming that person into the ground because she dragged my friend a good 10 feet out the door and then I called the cops. I despise protesters. I don't care if it's a right or not. They anger me and don't accomplish anything anymore other than getting in the way and wasting space.

Answer

A year ago I was apart of protesting my university's proposal to raise our tuition by 9%. It was a very peaceful protest- no bull horns, etc. We had signs and we marched across our campus and attended a meeting held by the university to explain the expected tuition raise. We asked pointed questions and voiced our opinion calmly. We ended up only getting a 5% tuition increase- because we protested in such a calm and respectful way.

I really believe that if you protest calmly then it's a great way of making changes. But if you're going to scream and yell and not listen to the other side then I think they just make people angry and do nothing but make the situation worse. If you're able to explain your opinion and show your disproval without being rude then you can actually open the door to a conversation.

Answer

Yes, they are effective on me. The BLM protests that have taken place over the years, for example, have gotten me to think a lot more about systemic racism within policing and the justice system.

As for protests I've participated in, they give you a sense of solidarity and show that you're not alone in how you're thinking/feeling. It's a good reminder that there are others out there working toward a common goal.

What I do find bizarre is how hostile people are to the idea of protesting. It incites a lot of anger from people who seem to want everyone to go home and shut up. Being on the left I often see this hostility come from some of the same people who claim to be "freedom loving Americans". There are a lot of things in this life we'd not have achieved if people had just stayed home or asked please.

Answer

I clicked no when I meant yes rip. Anyways I believe protests are very effective on multiple levels. When I see major protests, like what happened in my neighbor state Oregon after Trump won the election, it had a huge eye-opening impact on me. Protests get me feeling hella pumped and ready to do something worthwhile. Protests also get media attention and Government attention. It's what a democracy is built on.

Answer

The only protest I've seen in person was a pro-life group at a festival when I was 14. They had posters of aborted fetuses and it was kind of traumatizing, TBH.

I live in a small town and rarely ever leave it, so there's been no other opportunities to see protests.

I'd rather read about a protest online or see one on TV. If it's peaceful, I'm much more likely to care or research it more. Fighting, yelling, destroying things turns me off whatever you're protesting.

Answer

No, but only because I've only actually seen in person pro life protests that feature fake propoganda posters and random ppl with bullhorns who I'm pretty sure don't even know what the actual protest is about and just jumped in for drama, so you can see why I don't look forward to them in my area lol. And I don't really keep up with the news so I'm not sure about other protests.

Answer

I'm more likely to research something if people are protesting it. There are very few "just because" protest that I have seen. When I look into it, I make my decision based on if I agree or not. Protesting planned parenthood, I don't agree with. Protesting my local aquarium for having people bring in rare fish from our area to be "found dead," and stuffed for a display and paying the people to do it is enough to loose my business.

Are protests effective on you?

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