@bonifartius This is mostly true. I think a few protests are organic, but most are not.

@bonifartius in normal democratic countries protests and strikes may affect something. in totalitatian countries like Russia they're useless and dangerous for health and life because they use army and violently beat down demonstrants and that sometimes ends up with brutal violence in prison, afterall. I remember one clash with local "swat" (something of the kind over here, special weaponized police squad). it was bloody mess. and it was like 10 years ago, the regime became much more violent and criminal since. now they throw into jail even for slogan "peace to the world", "I love my Daddy" (real detentions and criminal cases for that) or for simple single picket with an empty sheet of paper. and in jail they use tortures, humiliation and rape and sometimes murder people. that's a very often case. that's a full-sized fascist state. real one, not the imaginary thing that some people call countries like USA and so on.