reply to post by Benevolent Heretic
Usually, most protests start as peaceful, and either wind up becoming violent because of some person becoming idiotic, stupid, or disgruntled, or
worse yet, someone is sent in to act as an agent provocateur, and agitate the crowd into action that would not usually happen.
I had a discussion about the Tea Party movement with one ATS'er who stated they were a part of the original grass roots movement, and I stated it
there, and I will state it again, when starting a grass roots movement, you need to watch out for the weeds, the bad seed people, and or the agent
provocateurs, because once a bad seed or agent provocateur gets within the wild flowers, grass, and roots, that grass roots movement is well on its
way to becoming a rotten field.
The first thing I always watch for is an agent provocateur, or someone who is mentally unstable.
This is why the militia groups were turned inside out and why they are usually negated, one nutcase, or many nutcases, or one agent provocateur, or a
group of agent provocateurs get within the bounds of what is going on and divide the people against themselves.
Divide and Conquer works, plain and simple, if you look for the weakest link.
In a protest, the weakest link is usually a lack of coordination, a lack of organization, or someone who is too organized, and too coordinated.
The lack of coordination, or lack of organization gives leeway to someone taking over.
Too tightly organized, and too tightly coordinated leads towards someone pushing the buttons of those who feel they are restricted, which then leads
the agent provocateurs to incite riots, violence, or stupidity.
[edit on 27-9-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]
No need to start spitting partisan accusations just yet. 
