If you've been around real protests and protest organizers much there's something you've probably heard before and it has to do with the difference between peaceful protests, non-peaceful protests, and violent protests and how these are three separate things. That the most effective type of protest has historically been protests that are neither peaceful nor violent but rather disruptive. This has historically been true and is often used as a way to explain why engaging in violent forms of protest are counterproductive as historically violent opposition has had lower success rates than nonviolent disruptive action. While this is true and in most cases good advice, this isn't quite the full picture. The primary reason violent protest tends to have lower efficacy rates is not due to the violence itself but rather that movements from which violent opposition has arisen have also tended to be less organized. Most violence in protest movements is a product of lack of communication and clear goals and methods and as such has many people showing up together who look like a single protest group but who are all doing their own thing and often hindering each-other in the process. Violent opposition when well organized and where everyone is on the same page is a far more effective tool than disruptive non-peaceful action. BUT it HAS to be organized, it has to have clear goals and use methods and actions designed to maximize the success of those goals while minimizing off target negative externalities. If you show up to a protest and start punching fascists and the other protesters from your side are just randoms who responded to a facebook event all you're going to end up with is a bunch of arrested teenagers and probably beat downs from the police. If you want to engage in violent opposition you have to already have a strong organizing structure comprised of people willing to take that step together and able to work together to have plans for the various things that can go wrong. You need clearly defined targets and operating principles. Without that you will cause more detriment than good for any movement you are part of.
