I think that there is a winnowing out process when things get serious, and especially if there are no understood rules in the game between antagonists. The whole series of protests in Seattle and Washington recently were premised on the understanding that some pushing of the boundaries would be allowed, and no guns were going to go off. In one sense, it is an easy kind of protest, though God knows it is necessary. Most people are not good at the serious kind of protest, certainly not middle class kids. I have been involved only once in one protest without well understood rules between the antagonists, and it scared the hell out of me.
yours, Peter T.