Clearing up the ethics of running over protestors who are blocking up the road

In response to Reddit discussion of this video I thought a Q&A was in order.

1. Q: Is it ethically permissable to drive through protestors who are blocking the road? A: No
2. Q: What if it is the only way in to work? A: Still no
3. Q: What if the only way to avoid it would be to reverse back slowly, which I would find humiliating? A: No.
4. Q: What if I do so relativelyslowly, to minimise risks? A: No
5. Q: What if I give them fair warning by honking my horn A: No
6. Q: What if they’re saying mean things about me? A: No
7. Q: My intention isn’t to run them over, I just need to get past. A: You are responsible for the foreseeable effects of your actions. What are the foreseeable effects of driving through a crowd of people, even slowly?
8. Q: But this means that the anti-ICE/BLM protestors win, and I really disagree with them! A: It is not permissable to run people over to make a political point.
9. Q: How morally culpable is someone who does drive through a crowd of people without “intending” to kill anyone ? A: Since what they have done could very easily and foreseeably result in death- and if it does not, does not through good fortune alone, driving through a crowd is approximately as morally serious as killing someone through a deeply reckless accident. Murder, rape, torture the grossest of betrayls and cruelties etc. are about the only things worse than that.

Just remember this helpful slogan: Your right to drive does not permit you to risk killing or maiming others.