Often the problem is a lack of follow-up action from those that protest. For example there are so many people in this country who say that we need a third party and support their ideas, yet would never actually vote for a third party, that it is ridiculous. It only takes 5% in a general election to put a third party on relatively even ground (Perot's Reform Party did it, but squandered its influence in the next election), yet almost no one considers doing it. If everyone who said "we need a third party" actually voted that way, they'd probably actually win. This effect was heartbreakingly at play in Bernie Sanders's presidential run. I heard so many people say that they liked him but he wouldn't win that I wanted to muffle the cries of slowly being driven insane by it. It is an American disease caused by a two-party oriented voting system.

"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered." - MLK