this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2024
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United States | News & Politics

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Can someone please calmly explain how blocking a freeway across an ocean and a country on a different continent, is supposed to have any effect on a political issue in the middle east?

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago (5 children)

FWIW, this is one of the most common forms of protest in Seattle since BLM. It’s not necessarily newsworthy to us locals! And yes, to confirm, most people in the city get pretty annoyed with protestors when it happens. A lot of people late to work, missing medical appointments, stranded with kids in the car, etc.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Hey guys, another local checking in to say protest is cool and effective protest is even cooler!

You might even say that people being late to work is exactly the economic impact that such a protest is designed to create.

[–] ZombiFrancis 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Eh we did it back protesting invading Iraq. Didn't do anything then.

But Seattle wasn't Amazon back then.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

No, we didn’t stop the war. I marched with 300k people in Washington (a lot of veterans) and we still didn’t stop the war. But I think the widespread and global protests of the Iraq war made it clear that the US was going to wage war despite its unpopularity, evidence, allies backing out, etc. A similar thing appears to be happening now with the backlash to Israel’s Hamas response.

Here’s a good column about what those protests writ large “accomplished.” https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/20-year-anniversary-of-iraq-war-protests

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

People who work on ambulances love when protestors close roads like this.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ambulances have dispatch to warn and redirect them, and sirens to force their way down the shoulder to an exit. Effective protest has to have an effect.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Blocking roads is not an effective protest, and rerouting ambulances is not as simple as you make it sound. I used to work dispatch, I would know.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

"blocking roads is not an effective protest" - source unknown

[–] [email protected] -3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Last time I was held up by these people, I was on my way to try to pick up my dog's cancer medication. So no, I don't sympathize with them.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

My dog's cancer medication is more important than the wars in the Middle East, too

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

"Only one thing can ever matter at a time".

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Will that's the point of protests to remind people like you that there are a genocide happening and you government is supporting it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's all performative. Everybody knows what's happening there. They didn't bring attention to the genocide; they brought attention to themselves.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

That's the point of protests to remind politician that if they dont hear the demands they will lose votes.