Originally Posted by drgoodtrips

Yes, the effectiveness is another valid point. I recall that Tom Ridge spoke at my graduation ceremony from college. The speech was general fare about going off into the world, success, etc - nothing political. At one point during the ceremony a group of extremely dirty kids carrying poorly designed signs ran into the ceremony screaming something about how the Department of Homeland Security was full of Nazis or something of the sort. This was met with boos and derision from the assembled crowd of proud parents until the distraction was removed by security.

I seriously doubt that the message touched any ears that day. If the point of such activities is to persuade people, I'd imagine it's one of the least effective possible ways to do so. Messing up something of sentimental importance to people is hardly going to bring them around to your line of thinking, any more than I would persuade you to see things my way by showing up at your dinner party and urinating in the punch. I think, however, the point of such activities is generally for idealists to get their "protest bones" and later point out how they're being silenced by the opposition, or else perhaps the point is simply to seek attention. In this case, I suppose it's effective.