Does Protesting Still Matter?

Photo via Atmos

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In history class, we learn of the great uprisings of the past, like the foundational revolutions of France and America, or the civil rights movements in the United States in the 1960s. We learn of these events because they completely rewrote our history.

In recent years, there have been a plethora of mass gatherings of people around the world. Most notable are the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, which had the largest number of people out of any protest of the decade and spanned across international borders. In America, the protests and subsequent riots after the 2020 American Presidential election demonstrated rising tensions among liberals and conservatives. 

The ‘Hands Off!’ protests that occurred in early April 2025 drew in millions of people across the United States, further demonstrating the frustration of the American people towards the Trump administration. The presence of the thousands of protests spanning all 50 states demonstrates a shared national feeling of disdain towards the national government.

But what exactly have these protests done to change the circumstances they stand against? It feels as though there has been a massive increase in protests in recent years, but fewer and fewer changes sparked by them. 

Compared to protests of the past, even during notable time periods like the late-1960s, late-1980s, and early-1990s, modern protests surpass these eras in both scope and scale. Through the proliferation of new communication technologies, media platforms, and broader globalization, the entire world is interconnected—what happens anywhere can be seen everywhere. This increased access to information raises awareness about different movements and the incidents that incited their creation. More than ever before, people are able to engage with each other from every corner of the globe.

Around the world, mass protests have increased annually by an average of 11.5 percent from 2009 to 2019. The cause of these protests varies widely; from the worsening environmental impacts of large corporations to violence persecuted by the state, people are ready and willing to stand up and fight for their rights.

Similarly, according to the 2020 Global Peace Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace, there has been a 102 percent increase from 2011 to 2018 in global protests, riots, and strikes. While this study encompasses more kinds of dissentious gatherings, it still indicates that people around the world are ready and willing to fight for what they believe in, and there seems to be more and more to fight for. 

So there has been an increase in protests in recent years. This still does not answer the question as to why there has been less meaningful change stemming from these demonstrations. In his 1968 article “Protest as a Political Resource,” Professor Michael Lipsky discusses the difference between effective and ineffective movements. In the end, it all boils down to messaging. A movement that lacks clear goals and fails to enlist help from powerful individuals and organizations will ultimately fail. 

The ‘Hands Off!’ protests on April 5th, 2025 garnered millions in support, demonstrating its broader scope when compared to past protests. This is exemplified in the vast decline in Tesla sales and stock price, as well as Senator Cory Booker’s historic 25-hour filibuster. Does this signify further changes to come? Or are these occurrences just exceptions that should not represent the impact protests make? 

Perhaps reanalyzing the problem will make the cause clearer. What if it isn’t the fault of modern protests that they fail to produce meaningful change? Instead, what if it is the aim of the government to not respond to protests and therefore dissuade further dissent from the people. If they do not respond, people will begin to question the efficacy of protests. 

The American government means to control the people in every policy they enact. By pushing sweeping tariffs, the government is able to control where Americans spend their money. By limiting access to abortions and sexual healthcare, the government is able to control the female body. By creating an environment of fear through ICE and deportation, the government is able to control immigrants and the American workforce.

And through the government’s indifference to mass protests, they are able to subdue the American people. By ignoring them, they imply they are ineffective. 

But Americans are privy to the government’s tactics. The people will not be subdued. They will continue to rise against injustice and fight for the founding principles of this democratic nation. 

Protests still matter. They do more than ever.

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This article was edited by Emily Caro.