In Reply to: Street protests posted by UCLART on January 24, 2026 at 19:55:19
They're also used as a form of solidarity among the people who fall on the same side of the issue. It's a way if people telling one another "we ALL feel that way", and that's a critical aspect of pushing back, imo.
The other reason for street protests is to provoke the powers that be to respond violently, which increases polarization by forcing the middle to choose the wronged party, while also grabbing the moral upper hand. I've always believed that peaceful protests only succeed when they elicit a violent reaction from ruling regime.
In cases like this, it also serves as a way to remind the administration that they are not completely in charge, which slowly pushes them into the said overreaction.