The Effectiveness of Civil Disobedience as a Protest Strategy
Historically, engaging in civil disobedience has been the strategy African American community members applied to attract attention to their issues, starting from the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s. Applying this strategy, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has managed to attract the attention of Americans and the international community. It might seem that this is not the right kind of attention as there has been a lot of criticism regarding their actions.
Eventually, even the criticism can play a positive role and accelerate societal changes. This way, the voice of the movement and their claims become more accentuated. On the other hand, however, this strategy can discredit the movement in the eyes of those who believe breaking the law is unjustifiable.
Public Perceptions and Counterclaims Against Civil Disobedience
When BLM engages in civil disobedience by breaking the law, counterclaims may arise from various segments of the public. Critics can argue that the movement undermines law and order, leading to the loss of support from those who emphasize the importance of abiding by the law. Civil disobedience can also be perceived as confrontational, which may polarize public opinion. Finally, policymakers can also react negatively to these kinds of actions, which will result in them not being willing to change policy.
Assessing Alternative Protest Strategies for Black Lives Matter
The selection of the strategy must depend on the goals of the movement. If the end goal is to change specific policies, then the strategy must be adapted correspondingly. In order to influence policymakers, another form of protest might be more effective.
Breaking the law to make a stance against the police may be effective, but it will depend on how the law gets broken. On the contrary, street clashes and robberies might discredit the movement’s goals. An appropriate protest strategy must include a combination of some elements of civil disobedience without going to extremes with a peaceful protesting strategy targeting policymakers.