Peaceful protests should not be squashed

[Chad32]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoJKjhtP...4dmDt4Cd6A

This is not the only story I've heard of about a peaceful protest where someone who wasn't harming people were punished. I saw a video, probably on the same site as this one, where one or two people on a motorcycle were carrying a flag upside down. When a soldier spotted them, he started sprinting towards them. Doubtful he was intending a friendly debate about why they were doing it.

People should know better than this. If protest by peaceful means doesn't work, protest by violent means will be the only option left. Sure some people might be cowed and just endure quietly, but some won't. I would prefer picket signs to shootings, personally.

Is anyone else bothered when they hear a story about someone protesting by nonviolent means, and still punished for that? You'd think people would want to encourage that form of protest if someone has a complaint about something. As opposed to assassinations and bombimgs.

[kılıç_mehmet]

Well, burning a flag is also a "peaceful" protest, and so is the verbal slander of national symbols and traditions. I'm merely stating that not everything that is peaceful needs to be legal, or moral. I personally do not think that anyone reserves the right to do the above mentioned things merely because they don't throw molotovs around. And if they turn violent, there will be someone to stand on the opposing side aswell, waiting to respond to violence with violence(by that I don't mean the police).

As for this particular case, its an individual protest, so its effectiveness is quite limited. But individual protests gather a boost merely by publicity when something like this happens. If they had left the kid be, his protest would not have mattered, as it would have been, as I said, strictly individual.

As for his means, I think he's doing it right. The pledge of allegiance was there before the Obama Administration, and will be there after the Obama Administration. Since the pledge is ultimately not something that defines the current government, but the whole country as a whole, he misses the mark completely, in my opinion.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Well, 'inciting to riot' is a punishable crime, but the person doing the inciting may not have committed any overtly violent acts.

Rather a grey area, innit?

Boru

[kılıç_mehmet]

Well, 'inciting to riot' is a punishable crime, but the person doing the inciting may not have committed any overtly violent acts.

Rather a grey area, innit?

Boru

Very much so.
Though nowadays, incarcerating people inciting civil disorder is something that does not pay off,as it sparks only more civil disorder.