I saw this story about a crazy guy driving into #NoDAPL protesters and shooting a gun. Thankfully nobody was hurt, but it doesn’t sound like the guy has been arrested or anything either. I’m on the fence about the #NoDAPL thing personally. After cursory review, I understand the outrage, but it also looks like the proper due diligence was done by the Big Evil Corporation.
But that’s beside the point. The part of the story that struck me was this quote by a protester:
“Our protectors were peacefully marching on a dirt road towards a DAPL operations base. And somehow WE are designated as the violent ones.”
In my opinion, if your protest is blocking a road, you’re not a peaceful protest. You’re a passive-aggressive protest.
Case in point, a number of protests lately in Richmond have been blocking highways. (I have also seen Trump protests in the past few days doing this.) I remember some #BlackLivesMatter protests that blocked Interstate 95 in the middle of Richmond. I can sympathize with the reasons for protesting but you’re not going to win any friends by blocking 95 through Richmond. People are going to get angry at you even if they don’t know a thing about your protest. They’re going to come away with the impression that regardless of what your protesting, you’re a threat.
I’m suspicious by nature, so I assume the organizers of any road-blocking protests are doing it on purpose to provoke exactly the response of that truck driver: A violent attack against “non-violent” protesters which can then be used in the media to swing public opinion in their favor.
UPDATE: Added links to Richmond protests.
