Are Mass Protests Effective to Prevent Oil Price Hike?

The national day of protest on oil price hikes as expected became a major mass protest event since it involves groups based in different parts of the country. Groups through PISTON exploited the issues on oil price hikes to agitate drivers, operators of public utility vehicles as well as other sectors affected by the oil prices increase into staging their own protest activities to coincide with the 31 March 2011 nationwide protest. However, we cannot deny the fact that these constant oil price hikes was aggravated by the Middle East political crisis. On the other hand, the government seems doing nothing to resolve the issue even it’s been going on and on since previous administrations. Are these administration people deaf to people’s need? Or they are just mum on the issue to prevent clash with these oil oligarchs?