When I hear about protests, sometimes I do feel like I could be making a difference for the people and the world around me, but then I realize the negative backlash that comes from it and I decide that I'm better of where I am.
It is really easy to be dissuaded from participating in even peaceful protests due to the potential backlash that could occur and even turn deadly at times. But history shows that such protests have been found to effectively move the needle as they grab the attention of elected officials to the point where they have to at least listen to the public.