Why do people continue to protest but they fail to do the one thing those in power are afraid of?

Those who protest as a group are likely to boycott a company's products which entails attention in the form of negative publicity/comments via tv, radio, newspaper articles/editorials, letters, and/or emails. This quickly gets the attention of the board of directors who always look at the bottom line. A tireless few groups have thus forced American companies to pressure their foreign sweat shops into raising the bar to more humane working conditions with decent pay for all employees. Thoughtful protests coupled with product boycotts can therefore be effective in bringing about constructive change.