People who say that, I would suggest, have either never gone to one, or have grown up during the internet age where everything is done via keypad.
(btw, how many Sloggers were at the anti-nuclear march in NYC in June 82?)

Wishing you good weather and good spirits at your march today, carrying on a fine tradition.

I was hearing the 'marches and rallies don't do anything' argument long before the 'internet age'.

There's not a conversation to have. They're regurgitating hackneyed rubbish from the behind the lazy factory.

Indeed, it's always better to call someone you disagree with "lazy" as opposed to engaging with them on your disagreement.

They're not regurgitating hackneyed rubbish from behind the lazy factory. They just have too many memories of pointless anti-Iraq War rallies dominated by incompetent weirdos who stole the soapbox to scream about freeing Mumia and ending North Korean sanctions.

...except that, you know, marches and rallies don't do anything. They're social events for the self-righteous. You need only look at what Dominic wrote in his post to see that.

("No, I'm not sure I can fit another rally in this week...my schedule is simply _filled_! I'm hoping that I can meet someone to swap amusing anecdotes about bike short shopping with at the Free Tibet thing on Thursday though!")

Marches and rallies have become cliches of the Left, and like all cliches, they lost their power and meaning long ago to overuse. If you want to make a difference, go actually make a difference. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Actually feed someone instead of taking a leisurely stroll and pretending you accomplished anything.

A major way radical change has enveloped humanity in the last few thousand years has been massive violence in the streets. Governments aren't put on the spot to change things for the better unless people are complaining with blood. We don't make enough noise for them to care otherwise.