Most civil disobedience is in the public interest – though some might be better planned, more strategic or more successful it is rare that people participate in civil disobedience with selfish or malicious motive – it is generally done in in the interests of the greater good – even if our current law makers would disagree. And as history attests it is the outliers, and those on the edges that help move issues into the mainstream… issues with widespread public support today were always pushed into the public domain by those on the outskirts. Whether it was voting rights for women, or first nations people, or workers rights, or awareness of discrimination against gay, lesbian or trans people, or the defence of natural places that are now today’s national parks – all of these issues involved a range of approaches, including advocacy and peaceful protest.
