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I'm using my own experience attending protests. As someone who is concerned about a number of issues, but not sufficiently concerned to base my life around thos

I'm using my own experience attending protests. As someone who is concerned about a number of issues, but not sufficiently concerned to base my life around those issues, I'm willing to show up when it seems my presence will contribute to an effort large enough to be noted. My observations of others at these events is that there are many different motivations. Some people base their identity and social life around protesting. Some people are there for related but distinct causes (e.g. when protesting the Iraq invasion we marched ahead of a group who carried signs calling for Palestine to be freed). Some show up to take selfies to show their friends.

austincheney 6y ago
Were you attending protests about systemic racism or police brutality before two weeks ago? They were certainly there to participate in.
- noelwelsh 6y ago
  I'm in the UK. I cannot recall any recent protests against racism or police brutality (apart from the current ones) that I might have joined. There probably have been some, because racism and police brutality are certainly issues in the UK, but they did not get enough coverage to register with me. The most recent protest, prior to the current ones, that I can recall is the Extinction Rebellion. The most recent protest I did attend was against leaving the EU, for which one of my motivations for attending was to take a stand against the xenophobia that I see as a core part of the Brexit platform.
- thebean11 6y ago
  It seems perfectly rational, or if not rational at least intuitive, that momentum of a movement would increase participation from people who already agreed with the movement, but weren't doing anything about it. I guess I'm not totally sure what point you're trying to make, what's your theory exactly?
  - austincheney 6y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23427232 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23427232 People are coalescing into groups more so for non cognitive behaviors than for deliberate premeditated concerns but when confronted by that reasoning deflect. When confronted they don’t deny it or excuse it but instead argue defense of positions that were never in question.

austincheney 6y ago

Were you attending protests about systemic racism or police brutality before two weeks ago? They were certainly there to participate in.

noelwelsh 6y ago
I'm in the UK. I cannot recall any recent protests against racism or police brutality (apart from the current ones) that I might have joined. There probably have been some, because racism and police brutality are certainly issues in the UK, but they did not get enough coverage to register with me. The most recent protest, prior to the current ones, that I can recall is the Extinction Rebellion. The most recent protest I did attend was against leaving the EU, for which one of my motivations for attending was to take a stand against the xenophobia that I see as a core part of the Brexit platform.
thebean11 6y ago
It seems perfectly rational, or if not rational at least intuitive, that momentum of a movement would increase participation from people who already agreed with the movement, but weren't doing anything about it. I guess I'm not totally sure what point you're trying to make, what's your theory exactly?
- austincheney 6y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23427232 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23427232 People are coalescing into groups more so for non cognitive behaviors than for deliberate premeditated concerns but when confronted by that reasoning deflect. When confronted they don’t deny it or excuse it but instead argue defense of positions that were never in question.