Going for shock value (which leads to more media exposure) over peaceful protesting is new, you can’t ignore that. It is in fact the most valid point of this clearly conservative-biased article. Before, you were looking for people to sympathize with your plea and behave nicely as a consequence, today it’s all about getting more clicks and eyeballs and feeding outrage.
It’s a nice and pat explanation, but like I said, it’s ahistorical. Gen Z didn’t invent provocation. Flag burning at Vietnam War protests was deliberately shocking. May 1968 was not “behaving nicely”. The Stonewall Riots weren’t “behaving nicely”. The Boston Tea Party was not “behaving nicely”.
Do you really want to compare the Black Panthers to Just Stop Oil?
I don't have any numbers but pretty sure violent protests, attacking monuments and historic sites, or just doing extremely provocative stuff was the exception, not the norm? Of course there will be plenty of historical events, but I don't even remember the last pacific protest or sit-down I've seen recently. These days your local beekeepers association is resorting to these tactics, because it's the only thing that works in the social media era. Combine that with general restlessness in western societies, increased police violence, and here we are...
