16/08/2026
The size of a movement does not determine the scale of change.
The 21st century has produced some of the largest public protests in history. But their impact has been comparatively small, at least in terms of direct, political change. In 2003, around 10 million people took to the streets to protest against the invasion of Iraq. In 2017, the Women’s March had an estimated 5 million people on the streets in America. In 2019, the global climate strike involved more than 6 million people across 150 countries. In 2020, the murder of George Floyd triggered the largest movement in the (written) history of the USA.
But the war in Iraq still happened. Women’s rights feel more at risk than they have for decades. Climate change proceeds apace – indeed some political progress has even been reversed in recent years. The scale of change has not matched the scale of public outcry.
Taylor and Hunt-Hendrix argue that size alone can’t carry a movement over from solidarity into change. The difference, they say, is organisation. A dozen very committed people can create more change than 100,000 retweets, likes or comments.
It’s an argument that makes sense on many levels. But what does it mean for how we participate in the causes we care about?
It certainly doesn’t mean protest is useless. For us, it remains a vital part of democratic life. It’s how movements grow and begin to be understood publicly. It’s how we know other people share our position.
