“How many protesters does it take to change a light bulb?” (joke)

Many people believe that protesting doesn’t work. A joke is:
 
Q: How many protesters does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Trick question. Protesters never change anything.
 
The joke has been cited in print since at least 2003.
 
   
Newgrounds
Response to Psychiatrists
therazorsedge555
Jun 2, 2003
how many protesters does it take to change a lightbulb?
answer: none. protesters never change anything
 
Thai Visa
drummer
Posted 2004-08-26 15:22:53
How many protesters does it take to change a lightbulb?
Oh- protesters never change anything.
   
Daily Kos
Punk Rock for the Right Wing
By bananagrabber
Wednesday Mar 30, 2005 · 11:52 PM EDT
Hey Kossacks, I need your help. 
My band, the Coits, needs some new lyrics for a song, needs some new lyrics for a song of ours and in the spirit of the punk rock, I hope that we can engage in some open source song writing. The song is called “Punk Rock for the Right Wing.”
(...)
(interlude)
how many protestors does it take to change a lightbulb?
how many protestors does it take to make a change?
how many protestors does it take to change a president?
how many protestors does it take to give a shit?
none:
those stupid fucking hippies can’t change anything
ha ha ha!
 
House Aristos
Sign the Petition
Posted on 2007.11.30
(...)
“How many protesters does it take to change a lightbulb?”
“None, protesters can’t change anything.”
 
Twitter
Paces Crossing
‏@PacesCrossing
Joke of the Day: How many protestors does it take to change a lightbulb? Don’t be silly, protestors can’t change anything.
4:56 PM - 3 Sep 2009
 
Twitter
michael kaminsky
‏@KMGMT
How many protesters does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, because protesting doesn’t change anything.
1:32 PM - 20 Oct 2009
 
Twitter
Adam LaRue
‏@adamlarue
@PerezHilton How many protesters does it take to change a lightbulb? None. Protesters don’t change anything
8:46 PM - 26 Mar 2010
 
reddit
1wiseguy
October 14, 2011
How many #OccupyWallStreet protesters does it take to change a lightbulb?
Trick question; #OccupyWallStreet protesters don’t change anything.
   
Twitter
Dawson Beatty
‏@beatty_dawson
How many protestors does it take to change a lightbulb. Trick question protestors don’t change anything.
9:02 PM - 18 Mar 2013
 
Twitter
LaffGaff
‏@LaffGaff
How many protesters does it take to change a light bulb?
Trick question. Protesters don’t change anything.
#funny #jokes
4:12 PM - 26 Jul 2016