so, what yr really trying to say is, "the revolution will not be accessorized".

Protesters in themselves don't worry governments, it's when ideas that the protesters trade in begin to resonate with the more mainstream centre of society that they become concened. When I was a student, there was no tangible atmosphere of political interest among my peers. Now I'm constantly seeing students carrying books by Chomsky, or freely discussing ideas of globalization, etc. A good majority of these will not have taken any actual role in the protests but they do have a broad sympathy with some of the issues surrounding them and were largely introduced to those issues by an awareness of the events in Seattle, etc. This vocal minority of people in their late teens and early twenties are going to be voting in the next election and that's what bothers any party seeking power.

You say mass demonstrations don't do anything but I gave an example of Nixon paying attention to a mass demo that led him to NOT drop nukes on Vietnam. Your analysis assumes that demonstrators aren't mainstream.

see, in the US the new elite strategy is to require insurance, which requires "leaders", nevermnd the Consitution doesn't allow for this.

Cape "tea party" canceled; City fears too many attendees

By WINK News
Mar 27, 2009
CAPE CORAL, Fla. - A tea party to protest government spending and taxing is canceled. Canceled by the government.
Why? They feel too many people could show-up.
Lynn Rosko planned to hold a tax payer tea party at Jaycee Park in Cape Coral on April 1st. The idea was announced at a Cape Coral City Council meeting, then an e-mail blast by the Republican Party and it was mentioned in the local media.
With all of that attention, the City of Cape Coral felt there could be more than 500 people attending the tea party. Therefore Rosko needed to get a permit and insurance for the event. Rosko says she’s not willing to get insurance and accept liability for something that a stranger could do. Rosko told WINK News, "I have rescinded any organizing or supervision or what ever you want to call it over this tea party on April 1st."
WINK News spoke to the director of parks for Cape Coral. He says that even now if Rosko is willing to get insurance for the event he’ll likely re-authorize it.
For now Rosko’s event is canceled, she’s encouraging people to attend the April 15th Tax Payer Tea Party in Centennial Park in Fort Myers.

No, you're missing my point. Protests do have an impact because they popularise ideas which then find their way into a far wider section of society.

Regarding the impact of protesters on Nixon's policy on Vietnam though, this is a myth spun largely by the counter-culture itself. Kissinger played a far more crucial role in convincing Nixon not to take the nuclear option.

or is the Kissinger story the myth making?

I suspect that somewhere between these two versions is the truth. It's clear that the demonstrations played some role, just as did Nixon's aides. The only person who knows exactly what prompted Nixon to resist taking the nuclear option is Nixon himself.

I agree with Telsa. the Vietnam war did not end because it was inevitble, shit it was near ready to last like the Hundred Years War, but what turned the tide is that in the US, riots burned down over a 100 major cities.. when we burn and loot, the system understands that we will not take no for an answer.. the trouble today is that people rarely feel the itch to start dancin in the streets..

the total time taken in meetings of the g20: 4 hours 23 minutes.

it's 4:23 somewhere

This sounds like a lyric from a Primal Scream song.

So in the end, only the cops perpetrated any real violence - that is force or abuse against people.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++==

Cops perpetrated not just violence but MURDER!! Of course the media doesn't discuss this, at least not with the same intensity of all the alleged "anarchist bomb plans, etc"

nvestigators today ordered a second post mortem of the man who died at the G20 protest after he was shoved to the ground by a police officer.Several of the officers captured in camera footage as Ian Tomlinson was struck with a baton and pushed over have also yet to come forward, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said.
The news comes as witnesses claimed riot police targeted the 47-year-old on two separate occasions.

The newspaper seller was manhandled by an officer 15 minutes before a colleague was videoed striking him with his baton before shoving him to the ground, it was alleged.

Photographer Anna Branthwaite claimed Mr Tomlinson was pushed to the ground and struck twice with a baton by another officer.
He was then dragged to his feet by the policeman who continued to push him along the street, she claimed.
Minutes later, a passer-by captured footage of Mr Tomlinson being felled by a police officer's baton. It is not clear if the same officer was involved in both incidents.
The fresh allegations against riot police came as Scotland Yard faced being engulfed by a deepening crisis over Mr Tomlinson's death.

Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson said that the video images 'raise obvious concerns'.
It was also claimed this afternoon that riot officers twice charged G20 protesters trying to help the man who died after being shoved to the ground by an officer.