Standing in front of a tank? Assassination? How far would you go in the name of protest?

_{The famous photo from the Tiananmen Square protests 20 years ago today. Is this proof that non-violent protests can be memorable? Original photo by Jeff Widener of The Associated Press.}

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Chad Rubel

How far would you go in the name of protest? Would you get yourself arrested? Would you break the law beyond a simple civil disobedience charge?

Today is the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. The image of the young man in the white shirt in front of the tanks is something we still remember well, even 20 years later.

The act was powerful and made an impact on how China was seen around the world, and the art of non-violent protest.

Martin Luther King, Jr. preached the vision of non-violent protest, despite the level of violence pressed upon King and his followers.

As a society, we have learned that there is a right way to protest and a wrong way. Non-violent protest actions are seen as more credible and sincere. Violent protests are usually seen as actions from more disturbed minds, either focused too strongly on a central topic or caught up in a wave of fighting back just to fight.

Some of you have probably been in protests, whether they were 4 weeks ago or 40 years ago. There are acts you have done, or certainly thought of doing.

Would you stand in front of a tank for your cause? Would you kill someone for the cause?

The one thing you would hope not to do -- even if you thought your cause was important - is cold-blooded murder, assassination, such as what happened to Dr. George Tiller on Sunday. Dr. Tiller is not by far the only one who has died at the hands of the extreme element of the anti-abortion faction.

The right-wing could certainly find an example or two over the years, where extreme left-wing groups sanctioned death. But this systematic, years ongoing, methodical killing of human life -- ironically from people who label themselves as "pro-life" -- and the ongoing intimidation and threats goes beyond where even most violent protests stop.

As the teabaggers proved, those on the left are better at protesting than those on the right. They have more experience, and their disposition of questioning authority, regardless of party, lends itself to this activity.

The establishment loves to focus on the left, and any potential protests, such as arresting people before protesting during the 2008 Republican Party convention in St. Paul.

So perhaps the left, even if they wanted to, couldn't commit some of the heinous activities that the right-wing does with ease when it comes to protesting abortion.

Scott Roeder, the alleged assassin of Dr. George Tiller, was convicted of explosives charges in 1996, but they were overturned a year later. But Roeder was also accused of more recent non-violent acts (including the day before Tiller's death) such as gluing the locks of clinics, which is still a federal crime. If Roeder did assassinate Tiller, then he clearly veered off the non-violent path.

There is a hope -- even if it is naïve -- that non-violent protests are more effective in swaying public opinion to your side, from those in the middle who may not be paying much attention to your cause. The general public apathy to the ongoing violent attacks by anti-abortion activists increases that naiveté. But staying with non-violent protests also shows off the core of the protesters and their values, even if there is a worry that the non-violent protests won't be seen as significant.

The act of protesting non-violently is a sign that while you believe in your cause, you don't think violence helps make your point. The cowardly often turn to violence in situations where objecting carries more power and legitimacy.

For all the protests in the last 20 years -- violent or peaceful -- the guy in the white shirt standing in front of the tank remains a powerful symbol that non-violent protests do have an impact, and can be memorable.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

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