Ever feel like no matter how much protesting you are doing, no one is listening? Ah, the sweet irony of peaceful protests—like knitting a cozy blanket while the world’s on fire. But this here blanket is made to smother the fires and you may not think anything is happening when you protest, but it makes all the difference.
Historical Examples
When it comes to peaceful protests, two shining examples stand out: Gandhi’s independence movement in India and the American civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi, with his unwavering leadership spun a movement that unshackled India from British rule. His quiet resolve was mightier than the sword, demonstrating the sheer power of peaceful resistance. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream, marched, spoke and led a movement that dismantled segregation and galvanized civil rights in America.
Why Nonviolence Works
Nonviolence Works Because It’s Harder to Justify Repression
Governments and institutions rely on public perception. When a regime cracks down on violent protestors, they can justify it as “restoring order.” But when they attack nonviolent protestors, it often backfires, creating public outrage and shifting support toward the protestors.
Examples:
- The Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. – The brutal response to peaceful marchers in Selma was televised, shocking the public and increasing support for voting rights.
- India’s Independence Movement – British soldiers beating peaceful protestors made British rule look oppressive and unjustifiable.
- Arab Spring (some cases) – Early nonviolent resistance in Tunisia gained massive international support, whereas later violent uprisings in places like Syria led to prolonged conflict instead of change.
When nonviolent activists don’t give their opponents a reason to justify repression, it makes it much harder for authorities to legitimately use force without public backlash.
Nonviolence is a Strategic Disruption Tool
Nonviolent resistance isn’t just about “looking good.” It’s a tactical method for disrupting power structures in a way that’s hard to suppress.
- Mass strikes shut down economies.
- Boycotts deprive corporations of revenue.
- Sit-ins and blockades create logistical nightmares for governments.
This forces those in power to negotiate because nonviolent resistance creates real-world consequences without escalating into a battle they can crush with superior firepower.
Example:
- South African anti-apartheid boycotts – Economic sanctions and internal boycotts weakened the apartheid regime without armed rebellion.
Nonviolence works because it’s an effective way to apply pressure, not just because it’s morally righteous.
Nonviolence Makes It Easier to Build a Diverse Movement
A violent revolution tends to attract young, physically capable fighters willing to risk their lives. A nonviolent movement, however, can involve everyone—children, the elderly, religious leaders, business owners, and people who would otherwise never pick up a weapon.
A diverse movement is stronger because:
- It’s harder to dismiss as “just radicals.”
- It makes the cause more relatable to the general population.
- It spreads more easily because more people can participate without fear of immediate violence.
Examples:
- Women and children in Gandhi’s protests – The presence of families softened public perception and made British crackdowns look even worse.
- Montgomery Bus Boycott – Black communities were able to nonviolently cripple an entire industry by simply refusing to participate in it.
A nonviolent movement has a much larger potential base of support than an armed uprising, which often alienates moderates.
Nonviolent Movements Tend to Have More Sustainable Victories
History has shown that violent revolutions often replace one form of oppression with another. Nonviolent movements, however, are more likely to result in lasting, democratic change.
A famous study by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan found that nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to succeed as violent ones—and they tend to create more stable post-revolution governments.
Why?
- When a revolution is won through violence, the leaders are usually the ones who were best at fighting—not necessarily the best at governing.
- Nonviolent movements require organization and coalition-building, which makes democratic governance easier after victory.