Non-Violent protest, the tool used by oppressed classes that have historically been prevented from accessing firearms has to be multi-faceted. Not only must it be multi-faceted but it also requires sacrificing people to state-sponsored/endorsed violence.
Non-violent protest is unable to effect change swiftly and therefore requires sustained protest. The length of time these protests must last are often a burden on oppressed, impoverished communities who already have little and now must lose more for the movement.
Direct action requires smaller groups of people, creating greater impact, over much shorter periods of time. These actions, like dragging a downed tree across an interstate at dawn, padlocking 3/4″ chain around the doors of businesses or dumping bags of quikrete at their base and adding water, tend to have day-long economic consequences that are easily repeated.
Due to non-violent protesting's ability to protect the state, it is often glorified in the media to create the “approved protester” archetype. These “protesters”, emboldened by media attention and the approval of the system, then seek to spread their pre-approved message of passivity in order to dilute any areas where direct action is more prevalent.