Climate change/ carbon price rallies
1. Student responses will vary. However, students might point out that larger demonstrations are more likely to gain the attention of media, therefore reaching more voters and law-makers. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of demonstrations is limited as parliament cannot possibly hope to follow all viewpoints.
2. Factors that work in the favour of demonstrations being effective:
- alarge protest that receives a lot of publicity can draw parliament’sattention to the need for change in the law
- parliamentarians may attend protests and rallies, and thereby beexposed first-hand to the public sentiment
- protests with a special element to them, such as a well-knownsupporter or targeted at a member of parliament who has astated personal position on the issue, can be effective at raising attention
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Factors that work against demonstrations being effective.
- many people believe that it is inappropriate to cause public disruptionor to break the law, regardless of how important an issue is
- protests usually involve little to no direct contact with parliament
- a protest with only a small group may have a smaller impact
- if violence arises during the protest it can actuallyturn the media and the wider public against the cause the protestersare trying to promote.