Lots of little ways to manipulate hope. We love to crow about our right to protest, but the only “protest” allowed is non-disruptive with a permit out of eyeline of those your protesting in a designated protest zone so as not to… Gasp… disrupt commerce. That kind of protest is masturbation.

That kind of protest is essential. Just because it’s not the only form of protest that should be pursued doesn’t mean it’s worthless, or not a major part of the solution. Disruptive protests are an escalation that should be used carefully.

In any behavior, you should ask yourself how you would like the government to act if it was your opposition doing the same. It’s my view that it is necessary for the government to take steps to disband disruptive protests, but that it is also morally correct to endure in making disruptive protests in the case (and insofar) you find it strengthens a just movement, despite government repression.

Any real protest and we’d be killed just like all those places that don’t allow faux protest or real protest.

We are a very long way away from ‘all those places’. Don’t confuse being bad with being equally bad.