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by csomar 3176 days ago
Again, your are making the same mistake. Civil disobedience is fine because no one should be forced to do something. Blocking a road is not civil disobedience.

People can protest by not showing up on stores, or maybe not paying taxes, or withdrawing their savings from their accounts. But blocking a road? That's annoying and endangering your fellow citizens and not the government.

5 comments

> Civil disobedience is fine because no one should be forced to do something.

Civil disobedience is not merely “refusing to do something” (the “disobedience” it refers to is to civil authority—the law—not merely some command to positive action.)

> Blocking a road is not civil disobedience.

Yes, it can be an element of civil disobedience.

> People can protest by not showing up on stores, or maybe not paying taxes, or withdrawing their savings from their accounts.

Yes, they can. They can also protest by blocking roads.

> But blocking a road? That's annoying and endangering your fellow citizens and not the government.

The government is the people. While this is theoretically the case in any regime professing democratic ideals, it's practically the case always and everywhere: government is simply whatever people choose to obey. But, even ignoring that, if you have a vote either directly on policy (as in any jurisdiction where citizens hold the powers of initiative and referendum) or on choosing the people who make policy (as in any jurisdiction with elected executive, judicial, and/or legislative officers), you are part of the government and legitimately targeted by campaigns, including civil disobedience, seeking to change that government’s action.

>Blocking a road is not civil disobedience.

How would you define Dr. King's marches, then?

Marches and sit-ins are pretty core tactics to peaceful protesting and civil disobedience.
So you are fine with protesting as long as the protesting doesn't get in the way, cause any commotion or inconvenience anyone, and you don't have to listen to or look at them.

Maybe protesters should all be sent out into the sticks so they can protest in peace.

So only private entities?