Mmmm, I think most of the protesters protested when they could squeeze it into their day. I doubt many spent long stretches there. As you say, that is rather burdensome. There are probably a few people who are retired or who use their vacation time to camp there, but that's probably pretty unusual.
That said, there is something about protesting or activism that cleanses the soul. You're there with like-minded people who believe the same thing with a passion. You support each other, it energizes you, and it doesn't feel like work. It's more like bonding, actually.
True, protesting like these people did doesn't "accomplish" anything concrete. But there's a long and fine tradition of protesting and activism in the U.S. It brings attention to your cause, and in this case, the larger the crowds siding with the parent, the more pressure would build on the judges and lawmakers involved. Much social change in the U.S. began with protests such as this one.
In this case, the pressure worked, and a law was passed concerning the reconnecting of Terry's feeding tube.
The other thing you have to keep in mind is that the media often gives a distorted picture of protests. If there are 4 people there with "Life" taped over their mouths, that's the pic that will run on the front page. In fact, there may be only 8 people there.
I did wonder why the judge didn't issue an order moving the protesters back. I mean, it's a *hospice,* and Terry wasn't the only patient. Then again, maybe the protesters were a respectful distance away. Hard to tell from the footage. Michael's lawyer never seemed to complain about this, so I guess it was all right.
