It won't work against a totalitarian government.

If the totalitarian government could survive a large scale joblessness or recession, comparable to the one US might be experiencing now.

Democratic regime may survive bad economic times by transitioning of power if needed, but less so for a totalitarian government.

Especially CCP got a lot of its legitimacy from the perceived fast economic growth, it will be problematic if their growth engine halts.

> Non violent, persistent, civil disobedience has worked in modern history.

Against the British empire in places that Britain didn't actually make much money anymore.

In America with Civil Rights also.

Because America is a Democracy. Non violent protests changed people's minds and those people ultimately decide the laws. Won't work in China. China is totalitarian. The government gets what it wants regardless of public opinion. And it will squash any opinion it doesn't like before it spreads.

That worked because the federal government had guns and Civil Rights had widespread support in much of the rest of the country.

History is probably full of deaths of nonviolent (and violent) resisters.

Not against the CCP. Tank man was allegedy executed by firing squad two weeks after the event.

Allegedly, though. If protest didn't matter at all, it wouldn't be merely alleged; the CCP would just publicly say "yeah we shot him and we'll shoot you next if you bug us about it".