Let me add here something a friend sent me.

“Here are several notable insurrections throughout history where weapons were either not used or played a minimal role:

1. The Salt March (1930, India)
Leader: Mahatma Gandhi
Goal: Protesting British salt tax.
Non-violent nature: Gandhi’s movement was explicitly non-violent, using civil disobedience and marches to make a statement against colonial rule.
2. The Prague Spring (1968, Czechoslovakia)
Goal: Reform communist rule and promote political liberalization.
Non-violent nature: The resistance to Soviet occupation was largely peaceful, with students and citizens organizing demonstrations and protests without weapons. The Soviets responded militarily, but the movement itself refrained from violent resistance.
3. The Singing Revolution (1987–1991, Baltic States)
Countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Goal: Independence from the Soviet Union.
Non-violent nature: Demonstrations, including massive singing protests, and human chains, characterized this peaceful resistance. It led to the Baltic countries gaining independence without armed conflict.
4. Velvet Revolution (1989, Czechoslovakia)
Goal: Ending Communist rule in Czechoslovakia.
Non-violent nature: Peaceful demonstrations and strikes without the use of weapons played a key role in toppling the Communist government, leading to a smooth transition to democracy.
5. People Power Revolution (1986, Philippines)
Leader: Corazon Aquino (opposition leader)
Goal: Ousting dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Non-violent nature: The revolution involved mass protests, including civilians, priests, and nuns forming human barricades and peacefully opposing military forces. No weapons were wielded by the protestors.
6. Orange Revolution (2004, Ukraine)
Goal: Protesting election fraud and demanding a fair electoral process.
Non-violent nature: Large-scale protests occurred without the use of weapons. This resulted in a new election and a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
7. Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution (2010-2011)
Goal: Removing President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power.
Non-violent nature: While there were some clashes, much of the movement involved peaceful protests, civil disobedience, and strikes that led to the overthrow of the government and sparked the broader Arab Spring.
These insurrections demonstrate how non-violent approaches can lead to substantial political change without resorting to armed conflict.”