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As protests take root in 2015, some are adopting the approach of "uncivil" disobedience. Is it effective?聽

In the past week, protesters have run-over traditional social taboos by demonstrating during funerals of slain police officers, First Night family celebrations, and even an honor ceremony for a 100-year-old Navy veteran.

Civil disobedience is built on the premise of defying authority. And Americans have a Constitutional right of free speech. But in a few recent cases,聽protesters are likely harming to their own causes by being inconsiderate and disrespectful of innocents caught in the emotional cross-fire of their actions. says聽Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick, president of聽聽in a phone interview.

鈥淭his is such a difficult issue,鈥� Ms. Napier-Fitzpatrick says. 鈥淵es, protest, by all means. Make your voices heard, but there is a time and place and that may not be when people are grieving or someone not at all involved with the issue is being honored.鈥�

On Saturday, a ceremony honoring聽聽Dario Raschio, age 100, was held up for 15-minutes after Sen. Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon was interrupted at Portland Community College's Southeast Campus, Oregon Live reports.

More than 100 protesters burst into the room shouting "hands-up, don't shoot!"聽in reference to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., last fall. Others cried, "I can't breathe" in reference to the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died in July following a chokehold by a New York City police officer.

Other protesters outside the room beat on the windows and held up signs until the centenarian finally silenced them by crying into a microphone in a shaky voice, 鈥淛ust give me a chance! Show some respect for the occasion.鈥�

In New York, at a the funerals of two slain聽聽the men in blue themselves chose to stage a silent protest against Mayor Bill DeBlasio by turning their backs en masse as he spoke the eulogies.

This coming after the Police Commissioner William J. Bratton had expressly asked officers not to turn their backs and use the funerals as social protest platforms, according to聽.

Napier-Fitzpatrick added, 鈥淚 thought that the way in which Mr. Bratton appealed to the officers was well done. Less turned their backs at the second funeral. They got the message that they needn鈥檛 take the focus away from the person who was murdered and put it on their agenda.鈥�

In Boston, public officials urged聽聽not to traumatize children with a planned 鈥渄ie-in鈥� during this year鈥檚 First Night festivities attended by hundreds of children 鈥� to no avail.

At 5 p.m., roughly聽聽gathered in front of the Boston Public Library, dropped to the ground and lay still 鈥� a protest known as a 鈥渄ie-in,鈥� meant to mimic the deaths of black men and boys killed by police.

The chant 鈥渂lack lives matter,鈥� a refrain now prominent after deaths in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City, rang in the new year in Boston. 聽

鈥淚nstitutionalized racism and police brutality hasn鈥檛 ended, we need to continue this part of the conversation that everyone鈥檚 thinking about, everyone鈥檚 talking about, until a change is made,鈥� said Brock Satter of East Boston, who helped organize the First Night action, according to The Boston Globe.

Also according to the Globe, Brandi Artez, of Boston's South End neighborhood, urged the crowd to keep their movement alive.聽鈥淲e have to keep going,鈥� Artez said. 鈥淭he civil rights movement took 10-plus years.鈥�

Others interviewed in Boston considered the protest inappropriate to the spirit of the event.聽

鈥淧rotest is valuable. However, you lose your credibility and support the more harm you do in the name of a cause," says聽Napier-Fitzpatrick. 鈥淏e respectful, considerate and kind and people will listen to you and respect you all the more.鈥�