PoliticalScience

Prof.JoshGold
SamKBeck
SummaryCritiquePaper#18

WhatMakesNonviolentMovementsExplode?byMarkEngler&PaulEngler.
Writtenforanyonesearchingforamoreopenmindedandrealisticviewonthese
movementsratherthanwhatweviewdailyinthemainstreamnewsmedia.Disruption
andSacrificearethemainfocusforamovementtogetresultsapowerfulcombination
ofthetwoiswheregoalscanbeentirelyachieved.ThePowerofDisruptionisrequired
forasuccessfulmovementinalmostallcases.Sacrificeisenduringhardships,showing
passion,andprovingtotheoppositionthelevelofpersonalseriousness/passion.To
receivepositiveresults,Disruptionandsacrificetogetherarethetoolsforachievement.
Repression,whichisusuallynegative,alsohasaplacetobeturnedaroundtohelpa
movementbyfuelingresistance.Iagreewiththeauthorsinmanyaspectstheyportray
ofmovementsbutnotall,duetothefactIveseendisruptiveproteststhathavenot
beensuccessful,causingmoreharmthangood.

Thelevelofdisruptionintheactionsofthepeoplethatareactiveinthemovement
canbeamaincontributingfactortohowmuchsuccessamovementhas.These
disruptiveactionsarelinkedinmanymovementstothefinalramification.Whena
protestdirectlyaffectsbusinessesandthepublicweseeanincreaseinattention.

Attentioncangobothways,beingeitherexceptionalorinferior.Thedisruptionofa
movementweseeinthenewsisalmostalwaysshowingtheprotestatitsworst
momentsgivingthepublicapoortasteforthereasoningbehindtherally.Getting
positivenewsmediacoverageissoinfrequentlyseen.Thesocialmovementtheorist
FoxPivenexpressesherspecificinterestinthetypeofdisruptionthatcomeswhen
peoplearentscaredtobreaktherules.Pivenalsoillustratesthatgreatmomentsof
equalizingreforminAmericanpoliticalhistoryarriveduringtimesthatdisruptivepower
iswidelydeployed.GeneSharp,aleaderinthefieldthatfocusesoncivilresistance,
hasalistof198methodsofnonviolentaction.Sharpbreaksdownthe198methods
intothreecategoriesby.First,protestandpersuasionwhichsimplyputispublic
assemblies,formalstatements,andbanners.Next,methodsofnoncooperationwhich
entailseconomicboycotts,studentwalkouts,andworkplacestrikes.Last,directand
immediatechallengewhicharenonviolentinterventions,forexample:sitins,land
seizures,andcivildisobedience.Asuccessfulmovementthathasbeenclosely
examinedwillshowtiesthatoneofthemaincontributingfactorstothatattainmentisthe
levelofdisruptionpeoplecarrywiththemandexpressasagroup.

Myfirstreasonfornotfullyagreeingwithdisruptionbeingarequirementfora
successfulmovementcomesfromdisruptivemovementsescalatingintorioting,looting,
andviolence.Disruptionleadingtoasuccessoftheprotestmustbemaintainedasa
strongyetpeacefulkeyandshouldnotbeallowedtogetoutofhand.Forexample,The
FergusonriotsoverMichaelBrownandEricGarnerbothstartedaspeacefulprotests

clearlycommunicatingtheirmessagewithoutanyuncivilizedactions.Extremelevelsof
disruptionbecamepopularwithinthismovementsimplyforitsownsake,onlyforitto
igniteaflametocrime,vandalism,andintimidationwhichwasallunnecessary.The
pointofhowthecommunityfeltwasunderstoodwiththeirearlypeacefulprotests&mild
disruption,endingonthatnotewouldhavebeensufficient.

Theuseofsacrificeisafundamentalpassagetotriumph.Sacrificeisthe
seriousnessoftheprotesterscommitment,theirwillingnesstoendurehardship,
inconvenience,notfeararrest,andtoriskphysicalharmexpressingtheinjustice.Let
thesestrategicnonviolentactionsnotbemisunderstoodastheprotestersseekingto
avoidconflict,visibleconfrontationscanbeveryeffectivemeansofexpressingyour
point.Astudyin1939,WarWithoutViolence,ShridharaniwritesofGandhian
strategies.ThosestrategiesexpressGandhisapproachtononviolentresistance.
Sufferingisusedtopersuadeandconvince.Inawarsense,Byinflictingsufferingon
theenemy,thewarriorsseektobreaktheformerswill,tomakehimsurrender,to
annihilatehim,todestroyhim,andwithhimallopposition,Shridharaniwritesinher
study.Avoidingphysicalsufferingtowardstheopponent,butnotafraidtoendureit
themselves,issacrifice.Apersonaltransformationissomethingthatoftencomesfrom
thesacrificesduringmovements.Sacrificescomeinmanydifferentforms,suchas
contributionsoftime,energy,andresources.Sacrificestothepublicarenotalways
visible.Burningbridgeswithfriends,family,orneighborsarealwaysatstakewhen
participatinginmovementsthathaveaconflictofinterest.Itbecomeshardfor

bystanderstostaytotallyisolatedanddividedduringaprotestwhenparticipantsare
sufferingrightinfrontofthem.Ahugefallacybehindnonviolentactionisthatthe
purposeofthemovementistochangetheopposingsidesview,leadingtoasettlement
oragreement.Therealthinkingbehindnonviolentactionistohaveanimpacton
friends/familyentailingaconnectioninapositivewayinsupportoftherallywhichall
relatesbacktosacrificebeingaconstitutionaltoolforsuccess.

OnthesacrificesideofprotestsIconcur.Oneofmyfavoriteaspectstosacrificeis
ontheaffairofnonviolentaction.Thepeopleyouremostconnectedwith,expressing
yourpassiontothemandinturnhelpthembegintoshareorunderstandthesame
viewsorhavelessprejudiceagainstthemovementspurpose.Whentheprotesterupts
andpeopleyouknowonapersonallevelcometosupportyouandtheprotest,you
havesucceededinthegoalofnonviolentaction.Aprotestwehavegoingoncurrentlyis
thesitinatBrandeisUniversityoffiftystudents.Ithastakenovertheadministration
buildingalongwithmainofficesonthecampus.Thestudentsparticipatingintherally
saycampuslacksracialdiversityandwanttoraiseblackfacultytotenpercent.They
havevowednottoleaveuntilthepresidentandboardincludeshiringadditionalblack
facultyandcounselors.Thisisaprimeexampleofsacrificeinprotest.Thesestudents
aregivingandshowingtheirwillingnesstosufferforacause.Thesitinoncampus
presentsthesacrificeoftheirpersonaltime&theirwellbeing.Italsoshowsspotless
nonviolentactionsuccess.Withthestudentsnothavingaccesstofoodorwaterfor
multipledays,family,friends,&fellowstudentsarestartingtohelpouttokeepthe

movementgoing.Manyfamilymemberscameouttosupportthecausewiththeir
childrenortohelpindifferentways.Packsofwaterbottleswerebroughtalongwithan
anonymousdonorprovidingpizzaforthedemonstrators.Peopleweresharingand
checkinginoneachother.Thementalandphysicalconnectionthroughoutthestudents
wassurrealandbeautiful.Theschoolboardisgivingthestudentslettercareful
consideration.Nonviolentactionwasatotalsuccessbringingfamilyandfriendscloser
together,alongwithstudentsbecomingmoreconnected.Whetherornotthedemands
aremet,progresswasstillmade,thevoiceofthestudentshasbeenmadeandsacrifice
wasanintegralpart.Asitinrallyisnotpossiblewithoutsacrifice.

Disruptionandsacrificetogethergiveusapowerfulcombination.Eachintheirown
canyieldresults,buttogethertheyareaveryimpressivematchandcomplementeach
otherindifferentways.Twoproblemsindisruptioncanbecounteractedbysacrifice,the
hazardofbacklashandperilofquickandmassrepression.Thepublicviewonaprotest
greatlyinfluencestheoutcome.Withthatbeingsaid,sacrificecantonedownthe
negativereactionsofthepublicwhenralliesusedisruptiveacts,allowingforthe
demonstratorstocontinuemobilization.Next,weseehowsacrificecanhelptakethe
authority/policeissuesthatcomewithdisruptiveactsandusethemtoanadvantage.
ThisisexemplifiedinOccupyWallStreetwhenaballerinaisatopWallStreets
infamouschargingbull,whilesheisposedpeacefullyandbeautifully,policearebehind
heringasmasks.Thescenewastopromotepeopletocomeoutandshowtheir
objectiontoWallStreetsways,notjustinaquicktwohourrally,buttobringatentand

takeoverthestreets.Repressionquicklybecamethewayoflawenforcement.People
beingsuppressedoffreespeech,massarreststakingplace,andsomewouldeven
arguepolicebrutality.Whentheproteststartingcatchingmainstreammediaheadlines,
themovementwentcountrywideandthenworldwideafterthat.Therepressionhad
evolvedfrombeingfrustratingandinfuriating,tothendevelopandexpandthe
movementbyaddingmoreprotesterstoOccupyWallStreet,thusshowingrepression
hadbeenagoodthingafterthehardships.Thereisnogreaterfriendthanitsenemy,
theenemybeingrepressionbyhelpingmovementsmakethebigsteptheyneed
sometimestoreachsuccess.Themergerofdisruptionandsacrificeisvitaltothe
progressofaprotest.

TheEnglerbrothersportrayedthecombinedpowerofsacrificeanddisruption
perfectly.IagreewiththeEnglersonthosetwotogetherbeingnecessaryforaclearand
successfulmovement.TheyusedOccupyWallStreetwhichfitinasaperfectexample.
AnevenmorecurrentexampleistheclimatechangemarchthatstartedinAustraliaand
NewZealand.Hundredsofthousandsofpeoplehavesteppedintothisprotestagainst
climatechange,asaglobalcampaigntoseparatetheworldfromfossilfuels.Over
600,000peoplein175countrieshavetakentothestreetstocreateavoice.Theywant
toseerenewableeveryswappedoutforfossilfuels.Disruptionandsacrificetogether
havebeenusedinsomanydifferentaspectsthroughouttheworldwiththisprotest.
Beingsowidelyspreadtherearesomanydifferentviewsonhowtheyveworked
together.Someofthemainwaysinlargercitiesthatbroughtmassesoutareshowing

sacrificeinitsmostbasicformsofgivingtime,commitment,resources,andenergy.Just
lastweekover500peoplemarchedin110degreeweatherandhumidityoverDarwins
upmarketWaterfrontrequestinganimmediateshiftawayfromfossilfuelsandtoa
completerenewableenergyfuture.Disruptionisalsobeingshowninitsprincipalareas
ofmobilization,streetandbusinesstakeovers/sitins,andpublicassemblies.Disruption
hasbeenmostcommonlyseenasstreettakeoverswhichhaveanywherefrom
1,00040,000peoplecomingouttomarch.Lookingintoallsuccessfulprotests,there
willbeexamplesofsacrificeanddisruptiontogetheronalllevels.Nomatterhowmildor
extremethemovement,theseaspectscombinedinprotestsarekeytoendgame.

MarkandPaulEngler,theauthorsofWhatMakesNonviolentMovements
Explode?showtheirwisdomandtheirsharpexpertiseonthetopic.Thesetwocome
acrossasopenmindedfreethinkers.Somethingtobecoveredthatwouldcomplement
thisarticlewellorafuturearticleperhaps,wouldbediscussingthehistory/background
ofsacrificeanddisruption.Lookingintowheretheybegan,wherethesuccesswasfirst
madewiththesepractices,andseeinghowtheymayhaveevolvedovertime.Have
theseapproachesbeenusedsincethefirstmovementsoftime?Ifnot,whenalongthe
waywasabreakthroughmadewithdisruptionandsacrificeinassembly.Orhavethey
justsimplybeeningrainedintothemindsofmovementpioneers,beingusedsincethe
start?DisruptionandSacrificeareessentialforamovementtogetresults,a
dynamic/dominantcombinationofthetwoiswheremovementintentionscanbewholly
attained.Thisreadingisbrightandcomplex.Spanningintoallaspectsofamovement.

Bibliography:

Engler,M.Engler,P.(12/18/2014).WhatMakesNonviolentMovementsExplode?
http://www.truthout.org/opinion/item/28073whatmakesnonviolent%20%20%20%20%
20%20%20movementsexplode

Ransom,J.(11/23/2015).Brandeisstudentssaycampuslacksracialdiversity
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/11/22/brandeisstudentsoccupybuildingprot
estlackracialdiversity/I1yUrfTbEpFdyW2ilajvJM/story.html

Moran,M.(11/24/15).Communitylendssupportduringongoingsitin
http://www.thejustice.org/article/2015/11/fordhallculture

Smith,WJ.(12/11/2014).ThePointofFergusonProtestsIsDisruption
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/394524/pointfergusonprotestsdisruptionwesley
jsmith

Various.(Current/updateddaily:11/30/15).Climatechangemarch
http://www.theguardian.com/community/2015/nov/30/climatechangemarchyourphoto
sfromacrossaustraliaandnewzealand