They were what? What changed? Cops never stopped killing black people people just stopped caring, police budgets got higher too.

I would say they were effective or had the potential to be effective up until the ops commandeered control over the movement and turned it into glorified parades. From a more strategic viewpoint, yes you can argue that the entire protests, even the riots, were not effective in the end. However, I see that as more an indictment against spontaneity and the skillful deployment of counterinsurgency tactics than protests themselves.

You’re saying there’s no point in protesting the war unless they invade the capitol or something? That’s insane.

How does a bunch of people meekly holding up a bunch of signs materially lead to the people of the Donbass region not being shelled by Ukrainian fascists? A whole bunch of people meekly holding up a bunch of signs didn't materially bring relieve to the people of Iraq.

I think people need to face the music and accept that anti-war protests don't work anymore, if they ever did. The complete nonfactor of the anti-war protests during the Iraq war should be a wake-up call to come up with a new anti-war strategy.