I’m all for a good protest.
In fact, I’ve taken part in a few over the years.
Because done right, protests can be an incredibly powerful tool for change.
Think of the women’s rights movement, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, or protests against the Vietnam War.
But done wrong, protests can have exactly the opposite effect.
Like the one staged by Disrupt Burrup Hub on Monday night.
While on a much smaller scale, it was the perfect example of what not to do.
They give real activists a bad name.
The DBH protesters targeted a family home, while flanked by cameras, threatening the safety of the family inside.
Was their intent to elicit an empathetic response from the public, let alone change?
No, absolutely not.
Their intent was to make their mark.
These kinds of extreme protests are not about change, the environment, or actually disrupting the Burrup Hub.
They’re purely about the protesters and their insatiable desire for notoriety.
Everything they do is about the stunt itself, not the end result.
I honestly can’t think of one positive contribution they’ve made to the cause.
They’re so busy spray-painting buildings and shamelessly self promoting that they don’t have any time to try to make a tangible difference.
Which let’s be honest, is probably a good thing — despite the chaos they cause..
Just imagine if these protesters actually managed to get a seat at the table to talk about real solutions.
It would be a disaster.
Because chances are, they’d glue themselves to it.