Peaceful protest lessens the moral legitimacy of those who use violent strategies. This reduction in legitimacy fuels coalition-building efforts and facilitates widespread condemnation of violent parties. Peaceful protest counters violence’s power with the strength of an integrative system.

When you protest a war peacefully, you set an example by not succumbing to the temptations of violence. Your audience will also be more likely to listen to you if you are not threatening or violent. Instead of accosting onlookers, welcome them into your cause with open arms.

Police and other regulating forces are also far more likely to allow peaceful protests than violent protests. This means that your group can utilize more public spaces and have a presence longer.

Sometimes these protests are nothing more than people literally making their voices heard and sometimes they turn violent. It’s not always the fault of the protestors either – sometimes the police and the enforcers make a wrong call and jump the gun and, before you know it, the fight is kicked off.

In order for peaceful protest to work, there must be an equal respect and sense of recognition on both sides.

The protestors must understand that they have the right to free speech and protest…WITHIN the law. That means that if they try to deviate their route beyond what was agreed or physically push through the police barricade, they are the ones at fault.

Alternatively, the police must recognize the protestors as valid citizens with very valid rights to express their discontent in a peaceful forum. They must not antagonize, bully or in any way throw their authoritative weight around that will instigate a fight.

At the end of the day, peaceful protestors and peacekeepers want the same thing and it can be achieved through a mutual understanding and respect for each other’s positions.

Today there are many protesters protesting for various reasons and beliefs. A an example of a recent peaceful protest is the march in Dublin against the Eucharist congress. Some protest may affect the lives of many people causing some non violent protests to become very intense, in turn causing violence. An example of a recent non violent protest with intense protesters took place in Egypt as opposition groups protested against the Mubarak appeal.

Peaceful protest that doesn’t attract violence usually have protesters that are confident in their beliefs and are ready to lay down there life to be heard. These kinds of protests have been the most effective throughout history, as they demand respect by oppressors.

Most protesters are dressed in outfits that exemplify their cause, such as t-shirts with slogans on them. They also carry signs as well as shouting slogans out loud or through loudspeakers. Remember, if you plan to protest, you must really believe in the cause, because just because your actions are peaceful it doesn’t mean that those who think differently will act the same way.

There would be no justice in America without our heroes who were brave enough to take to the streets in peaceful defiance. We have teachers all around us from our rich American history to show us the way. We have learned from these heroes that violence is detrimental to the ultimate goal of peace and taking a violent stance when protesting can only end badly, as we are unequipped for that kind of fight. We do, however, by standing together, have a chance to make a really good point.

Thank goodness, people take to the streets, not with violence, but with information, signs, and strong desires to create peace in its truest form. To deny violence and social injustices with our entire bodies is the complete denial of oppression. Throughout American history, when faced with glaring social injustice, frustrated youth have taken to the streets in acts of protest. The youth will always rebel, making it clear to the older generation of people in charge what exactly the public opinion is.

Whether you want civil rights, a change in government policy or you just want your voice heard, peaceful protests will capture people’s attention. You can use the media to ensure that the message you want is put out there so people can see it, and so that your thoughts and views become a bigger part of the collective political consciousness.

Peaceful protest also makes you look like an adult, using established policies of mature protest to try and change things from the way they are now. While violent protest might have a more appealing feel for those that are angry, or who feel that peaceful protest won’t work, violence doesn’t lend credence to your claims or cause. You need to appear mature and reasoned in order to get the public truly behind all your ideas.

Every time I watch this movie, I’m struck by the instinctively submissive nature in human beings. We yield to authority even if that authority has no real right over us. We yield even when doing so costs us our lives. The Jews outnumbered the Nazi soldiers. Why did it take so long for them to resist being treated like animals, being forced out of their homes? Why didn’t they stand up and protect themselves sooner?

Taking a real stand goes against the grain for many of us. Have you ever witnessed someone attack another person and done nothing about it, even when your insides are throbbing with the need to intervene? Have you ever been treated poorly at work or in school and not defended yourself? I know I have. It creates a miserable mixture of bad feelings: failure, disappointment in yourself, impotent anger, wounded indignation.

Protesting violence doesn’t seem to come easily for some reason but it’s vital to our happiness. Even to our very survival in some cases. It’s shaky, scary ground to stand on when you refuse to yield to injustice and violence but the reward is the achievement of dignity and self-worth.

Right now there are people killing people with robots. The process of institutional murder has been automated to the point that one man can kill as many people in a day as our grandfathers could kill in a week. These people owe no particular allegiance to any one country or system of laws, and their technological advantage means that they cannot be attacked without causing more devastation than any of us could ever possibly want. Make no mistake; any conflict between a civilian population and the military establishment will certainly end with a giant pile of corpses. The only way to end this insane cycle of violence is to convince them to lay down their Predator drones. We the people have no choice but to convince them they are wrong, and the sooner we convince them, the fewer people they kill before they realize they are wrong. We have to change the programming of those who program the drones. The only way to do this is through peaceful, committed, tireless, endless, intelligent, responsive, compassionate protest. Technology has brought us the modern military, the unstoppable force. Only the immovable object of peaceful protest can prevail against it.