Being the most radical person at a protest may earn you prestige among those who already agree with you. And ultimately, the law will protect an agent’s right to self-defense, not yours. To say that Pretti should not have brought guns to a protest implies that he is in part responsible for his own death. Critics of violent resistance claim it undemocratic, but in a system where leaders do not obey the law, placing ourselves within these legal constraints serves no purpose. Gandhi himself, though often depicted as opposing violent resistance, did not argue against violent disobedience, only against its effectiveness.

Source: The Guardian February 09, 2026 22:56 UTC