It’s not particularly effective, but is still a form of protest. It’s important to recognize it as such, because:
It means that there are people who are attempting to have their voice heard
They can be steered towards better forms of getting what they want if they are shown better forms of praxis.
At the end of the day, protestors are people with goals, and if you can convince them that this goal may be met more effectively otherwise, they can be allies.