Another Case For Production As Activism

Folks still like to protest, and they are getting all cutesy by trying to shut down malls and stuff. The private owners of the mall haven't done anything to deserve that, but for some reason the leftists who still like to protest can't seem to understand the finer points of private property.

So, if you want to protest, and you don't care about law, why not flood New York with free cigarettes?

Tobacco is pretty cheap; the bulk of the cost is government. I think back in the 90s or so, Rush Limbaugh used to say a pack of cigarettes would cost about 28 cents if you took all the government out of it. I'm sure there has been inflation, but I'm guessing it would still be under .50 cents, and less if you grow the tobacco yourselves.

Why might you want to do this rather pretend to asphyxiate on the floor of a mall?

First, you can put the picture of Eric Garner right on the pack.
Second, you get to do the design. You crazy leftist hipster protesting types love design, especially being ironic. Be ironic. Make sure the warning label says something about potential death by cop.
Third, it gives the police a chance to redeem themselves. They might want to stop being a revenue generating device for the asshole politicians who will betray them whenever it seems politically advantageous. They could come out and say that they are done with enforcing tax laws and writing all those ticket each day just so that the city can have more money.
Fourth, you can show solidarity with people like Eric Garner. Eric Garner was just trying to get by on the streets of New York, and his customers are just like him.
Fifth, it hits the real enemy right in the teeth. The politicians are the ones who made all these laws to the point where a man can die due to an alleged sale of a single cigarette.

Finally, and here's the big thing, you might actually make a difference. Those with actual PR skill are manipulating these issues. Your protests tend to play right into their hands. Certainly there are problems with the approach mentioned above, and it is not even a recommendation per se, but an invitation to think differently. There are people outside your immediate purview who may agree with you, but you have to stop emoting to your own kind and start figuring out ways to breakthrough to others.