In connection with recent events surrounding the BLM movement, I found an interest in peaceful and violent protests and how they can impact the success of a movement. The BLM movement was filled with violence. Due to this, it lost some of its support. If this protest had remained peaceful the movement would have been able to maintain this base of support. 

I am not the only one with these ideologies, Gordana Rabrenovic, an associate professor of sociology and director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict says, “Rabrenovic says, one thing is clear: in order for a movement to gain support and inspire lasting change, peace and consensus are essential” (Arntsen). Remaining peaceful during protests is imperative to create a lasting change. Peaceful protests gain more support, and are therefore more effective in creating lasting changes. If you want to make an impact on society, protesting peaceful is the most efficient method. 

I have found that when a protest is non-violent, I am more interested in learning about their purpose. The presentation, “Peaceful vs. Non-peaceful protest” discusses that peaceful protests are the best way to bring awareness to a movement because they draw the rest of the world's attention (Dover). Peaceful draws more support than violence. With more support, the goal is more likely to be achieved. It is because of this that peaceful protests are more effective than violent protests. The success of peaceful protests are completely a result of whether we chose to lend our support or ignore the movement. According to the article, Are peaceful protests more effective than violent ones, “There’s certainly more evidence that peaceful protests are more successful because they build a wider coalition” (Arntsen). Peaceful protests have a greater appeal than violent protests do. As a result, peaceful protests gain more support than violent protests, and are more successful in creating a lasting change in society. 

Although you might believe that violent protests are necessary to bring attention to an issue, the truth is that the attention given to violent protests does not translate into support for the movement. An interview from a Times article shows, “Sometimes it takes a riot to bring attention to needed change.” This is not completely true. Many choose not to support movements because of their violence. When I see a violent protest, my interest in their movement declines, all I see is violence. In peaceful protests public participation increases by about 11 times more than in violent protests. With more support, a movement can be more effective and create a lasting change.

Peaceful protests create a clearer display of the message they are trying to deliver. In an interview with Jon Stoler, he says that in violent protests, people only focus on the violence, and miss the message in the comotion. On the other hand, peaceful protests are able to display the message and purpose of the protest without losing any understanding (Stoler). Peaceful protests are a clearer display of the goals of a movement. When the goals of the movement are easier to understand, people are more likely to give their support.

Lastly, when CMS middle schoolers were asked the question, would you be more likely to participate in a peaceful or violent protest? 100% of the 16 students surveyed answered that they would be more likely to participate in a peaceful protest. This statistic displays how peaceful protests are able to gain more support than violent protests. With more support, the protest will be more effective in achieving the goal of the movement. Ask yourself, would you be more likely to participate in a peaceful or violent protest? 

Violent protests do not show the same success as peaceful protests, and the reason is clear. In order to better our society, we need to find an effective method of creating a lasting change in society. Peaceful protests are able to gain more support and portray their goals and purpose more efficiently than violent ones. It is for these reasons why peaceful protests are more effective in achieving their goals and creating a lasting change.