Principles for Effective Protest: A Special Episode Following the SSI-SJP Clash Near TMU (Ep. 29)

On November 5, 2025, the tranquility of our hypnosis office was broken by a clash between two student groups, Students Supporting Israel and Students for Justice in Palestine, from Toronto Metropolitan University. After a window was broken and the protesters were forced out, five arrests were made, and the police chief says that more charges are coming.

If you’ve seen the videos posted on social media, you might have seen our founder Luke Chao surveying the damage and making efforts to deescalate the situation. In this special episode of How to Be an Adult, Luke reflects on what we can learn about civil disobedience and how to protest effectively. This is not legal advice: it’s practical advice for what to think inside your head.

00:00 – The protest on November 5

01:39 – The purpose of civil disobedience

04:35 – #1: Remember the human

05:42 – #2: When fighting monsters, do not become one yourself

07:15 – #3: Do not reverse victim and perpetrator

08:04 – #4: Narrative is not everything

08:51 – #5: Avoid getting swept up in mobs

09:37 – #6: Be Socratic

10:23 – #7: Pick your battles

11:19 – Closing remarks