Nonviolent protest (or civil disobedience) is a method used by protesters to bring about change in some aspect of society.  Several people have used it in recent times. Gandhi used it to protest British rule in India.  He wanted the Indian Peninsula to get its independence so he used non-violent methods. His actions included fasting, marches, and manufacturing products illegally. 

Another example of non-violent protest was with the civil rights movement in the United States.  African Americans were facing segregation, inequality, discrimination, and racism. When Rosa Parks was arrested, Martin Luther King, Jr. called for a boycott of the Montgomery bus system. It lasted 381 days and resulted in an end to bus segregation.  Other examples of non-violent protest included attempts to desegregate schools, integrate restaurants, and grant voting rights to African American Americans.

Cesar Chavez used non-violent protests to get better working conditions for migrant farm workers in California.  There were marches, boycotts, and a long fast (by Chavez) to get these improved conditions.

The non-violent protest movement has been successful in improving conditions for various groups of people.