Nonviolent Protesting

[apache_blanca]

Starting from the end:
I agree with Dognik about "if you want to change the world - start with yourself". Yes, sure - the world is not perfect. Are we?

I disagree about a human being being a mass animal (and nothing more). Animals are mostly (altho not always) ruled by instincts; human beings have the gift of the free choice. Every one chooses, & often one makes a choice even when one is not aware of it. And if there is an action - there is a reaction.

Back to the OP:
the protesters made their choice, the policeman made his choice, the chancellor made her choice, & the silent protesters made their choice. Now each one is dealing with the consequences of their actions. The story is all over the internet & the policeman could be cursing the moment he chose to use the excessive force & show "who the boss was" - or he may choose to blame the "punks & hippies" for the unwelcome (for him) attention to his face & name completely ignoring the fact that it was him who triggered the situation.

Personally, I choose to admire the silent protesters. The concentrated silence was So powerful. Yes, true, people achieved many things with violent, or aggressive, protests over centuries (thinking French Revolution for example, with their addiction to chop heads off) - but now times are different, & maybe the protesting methods need a revision: less violence, more consciousness. Or more conscience.