Not on any level people cared about as a serious risk to their livelihood. It helped them get seen, sure, but the threat of disruption wasn’t a meaningful part of the operation, it just forced a reaction.
The birmingham bus boycott alone cost millions of dollars at the time and resulted in a 40% drawdown for business in the city center. The protests caused major economic disruption.
Sit ins were more localized but could result in a day of lost business with normal operating expenses. Thats actually not a small thing for a small business owner.
Sorry, unless there is fires and property damage it’s legally not considered effective protests by people who have never been to a protest but sure like to post on social media about how violent protests work.
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u/TotalFraud97 Jul 28 '26
They were physically obstructive. Sit ins blocked restaurants, stores, and other public places. Marches blocked streets and traffic.