The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world
www.bbc.com
Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.
  • barneypiccolo@lemm.eeEnglish
    51·
    13 minutes ago

    American Revolution. French Revolution. Iranian Revolution.

    Just a few very violent, and successful, revolutions.

  • hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    213·
    2 hours ago

    my fucking ass 👅🥾

    Bolsheviks, Stonewall riots, suffragettes, all famously peaceful movements that got their rights by staying on their knees and asking nicely.

  • ikidd@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    35 minutes ago

    General strikes accomplish a fuck of a lot more in a shorter amount of time. When the owners of the administration can’t get their poptarts to the stores to be sold, the bank calls their loans and shit gets real.

    • barneypiccolo@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      15 minutes ago

      Right after Covid ended, the nurses in the NYC hospitals decided that after being so heroic for over a year, they deserved raises, and some other benefits. The hospitals flat-out refused anything.

      The nurses went on strike. Within 72 hours, every single one of their demands was met, including a fat raise.

      Unions and strikes work.

  • Octagon9561@lemmy.ml
    61·
    1 hour ago

    This is complete utter propaganda, especially considering it’s coming from the BBC. History has shown us time and time again that the ruling class never gives up its power peacefully.

  • fdnomad@programming.dev
    61·
    2 hours ago

    I honestly cant recall seeing any peaceful protest accomplishing anything of significance in my lifetime. Most successful protests I hear about are the French lighting up Paris when they try to raise the retirement age. They just try again 2 years later though.

  • perestroika@lemm.ee
    224·
    3 hours ago

    There’s a book on the subject written by Srdja Popovic.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueprint_for_Revolution

    Summary: protests that start (and try to remain) non-violent have a greater chance to succeed, because they can attract more people to their cause.

    Critique: with some regimes, it’s not possible to non-violently protest. For non-violent protest to work, the environment must respect a minimum amount of human rights.

    Case samples:

    • US during the civil rights movement era: yes
    • USSR under Gorbachev: yes
    • Serbia under Milosevic: yes, with difficulty on every step (Popovic was there doing it)
    • Israel under Netanyahu: probably yes
    • China under Xi: practically no (not for long)
    • USSR under Kruschev/Brezhnev/Andropov/Chernenko: not really
    • Russia under Putin: no, don’t even hold a blank sheet of paper
    • Iran under Khamenei: only if you’re doing a bread riot
    • Saudi Arabia, USSR under Stalin, NK under the Kim dynasty: no, and execution would be a possible outcome

    …etc. In some places, you can’t organize. Then your only option is to fight. As long as you can publicly organize, definitely do so - it’s vastly preferable. :)

  • Bloomcole@lemmy.world
    31·
    2 hours ago

    Thanks Bernie the sheepdog.
    Make sure the sheep don’t make waves.
    And don’t forget to say pissrahell has aright to defend itself

  • Ougie@lemmy.world
    261·
    6 hours ago

    Well that’s total bs, in Greece there’s been dozens of non-violent protests far exceeding 3.5% that have failed spectacularly.

  • lemonaz@lemmy.world
    221·
    6 hours ago

    Didn’t BLM 2020 protests have over 3.5%? I don’t think they accomplished much except put pressure to prosecute Chauvin. Like literally just that one guy.

  • 10001110101@lemm.eeEnglish
    231·
    7 hours ago

    Liberal three-percenter lore?

    I mean, I do think non-violent disobedience can be effective, but the state usually makes it violent. State sanctioned protests where most obey most of the rules isn’t disobedience. Is a good start though, and I hope things progress (in a good way).

  • axh@lemmy.world
    62·
    5 hours ago

    no non-violent movement that has involved more than 3.5% of a population has ever failed

    US police: hold my riot gear!