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Protests in the streets are completely ineffectual today. The only strength protests ever had was that it was hard to estimate what strength of feeling was really behind them, or, indeed, if something like the Bastille was actually stormed. Nowadays, there is very accurate data on the strength of protests and what people at large really think. And, funnily enough, most people just want to get on with their lives ...
Oliver Schick-
Not sure I agree that street protest is completely ineffectual today. It is just difficult to measure its impact. The Extinction rebellion protests have massively elevated the topic in the media and the political establishment had to acknowledge it for example. From a historical point of view, most revolutions have failed in their immediate objectives, but no one would deny that the Haitian revolution has contributed to the end of slavery far beyond Haiti. If hundreds of thousand people were to voice their concerns in Westminster once a week till October, no one would dare pursue no deal. I understand that we all want to get on with our lives, but it’s our lives that are going to be affected by crashing out.
plantasia
We don't exactly have a history of protests doing a lot in this country anyway. The last one was c.1m? which (given Iraq protests) seems to be about the high tide for 'very large protest'. I'm sure they could match those levels again today, tomorrow or in October. I'm not sure that much would happen.