Progressive Politics

I've been to protests and thought 'well obviously most politicians won't see this and change their mind, we're dozens of thousands but not millions', but then that's not the actual point of most protests. I'd say they're:

• to publicly establish that there is an organic movement that you can get involved in
• to raise public awareness (e.g. there was recently a nearby protest at a facility manufacturing weapons which locals didn't even know was there and advertising in their schools to groom weaponry engineers, and since most of that community are Middle Eastern war immigrants, it was a big deal to raise awareness)
• to get interested activists, new and experience, all together in a place to network
• to build connections and form political organisation, which can accomplish more than a peaceful authorised protest

If you go there and stand around yelling, you might be wasting time. But if you go there and get involved, that's how you can begin resisting the regime. The people handing out fliers aren't just pests. (only half of them are ;)

The point is generally to make content for their personal social media accounts.