Should Krishna Devotees Pray for Peace?

From NZ Sharing:

“I haven’t posted on social media for quite sometime. To be honest, the divisiveness and attacks from people I thought were my friends and associates all got a bit much for me. I shut down and lost my confidence greatly.

But having been to the protest and witnessed it, here are some personal thoughts on the protesting in Wellington that is occurring right now. I agree with the right for anyone to protest peacefully, but this is more like an intimidation occupation, insurrection, and festival combined, all set up on parliament grounds and into the surrounds.

I agree with the right to protest peacefully, but I don’t agree that -- day upon day -- intimidation towards those innocent people who are trying to access their homes, work place or education place is a peaceful protest. It might not be violent, but it’s far from peaceful when others feel intimidated and afraid to be in the area.

As an example my daughter has had all her law lectures cancelled in person, because the protestors are camped out in the law building gardens. It would not be safe for her or her student colleagues to enter the law building.

I’ve walked through. What I witnessed. There is extreme right ideology everywhere you look and there’s antisocial behaviour everywhere you look. People drinking, people swearing, people arguing. It does not feel safe. Overall, it is some people intimidating others, and trying to force them to accept the views of the protestors. I did not feel safe, nor do others. 

I was grateful to have my mask on and my facial expressions were hidden. And to have made a decision to not engage prior to walking through was the right call.
There are also large numbers of green lefties, "peace loving hippies" and well educated middle aged women. And the Maori, mixed with Hare Krishna’s and church goers - all there in large numbers too. They are there - supposedly peaceful themselves - but surrounded by disrespectful and offensive imagery and behaviour of others. 

By association, they are not just witnessing but apparently condoning these intimidation tactics, threats and demands. I felt distressed and dismayed to witness this apparent ignoring of the imagery and symbolism and aggression around themselves - because individually they were still being ‘peaceful’.

Devotees should not be associated with these anti-social and intimidating demonstrations that are making others feel fearful and intimidated. It paints the devotees as agreeing with these agendas. Not going to help us. Devotees should be seen as politically neutral and in fact -- unbiased peace lovers.

[PADA: Srila Prabhupada said that devotees doing harinama would purify the planet, and reduce the wars and other sufferings. Yet the first thing the leaders did was to kick out the hundreds and hundreds of devotees who were doing the harinamas. Revival of the harinama process is evidently the only thing that will help the world situation. But we rarely even hear the ISKCON leaders discussing their plan to revive it, or even to just get it to the level it was at in 1977.]  

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SRILA PRABHUPADA: Students' prayers 24 hours a day to listen to the political talks and desiring the war should stop is useless. God cannot be their order supplier. First of all, they act sinfully, and when there is reaction of war, pestilence, famine, and so many other nature's disturbances, they pray to God for stopping them. 

This is not possible. Just like a criminal first of all commits theft, burglary and debauchery, and when he is captured, by the police force, if he prays to the government to stop, that is not possible. So they are engaged in all sinful activities, and by natures' law, there must be reaction. 

I am encouraging now cow killing or animal killing, and when by nature's law, the turn comes upon me to be killed, if I pray I want to stop it, how it can be stopped? So their process is not very genuine. They want to make God as order supplier. 

So God is not order supplier. He is order giver. He orders everyone to surrender unto Him, and the fools and rascals who do not surrender unto Him, they want to order God in the form of so-called prayer, that He should ask material nature to stop her legal activities. That is not possible. (Letter to: Satsvarupa - 9 October, 1968).

"You are maintaining so many slaughterhouses, and when it will be mature, there will be war, the wholesale murder. Finished. One atom bomb--finished. You'll have to suffer. Don't think that "Innocent animals, they cannot protest. Let us kill and eat." No. You'll be also punished. Wait for accumulation of your sinful activities, and there will be war, and the America will drop the atom bomb, and Russia will be finished. Both will be finished. Go on now enjoying. It takes time. Just like even if you infect some disease, it takes time. Not that immediately you infect, and immediately the disease is there. No. It takes a week's time or so."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 6.1.32 Honolulu, May 31, 1976

"You have asked about whether nuclear devastation on this planet would effect the Sankirtana Movement. No, there is nothing that can stop the Sankirtana Movement because it is the will of God Himself, Lord Caitanya, that His Holy Name be heard in every town and village. Neither can the demons devastate this planet independent of the will of Krsna. Nothing happens without His sanction.
If Krsna wants to kill someone no one can save Him, and if Krsna wants to save someone no one can kill him. For our parts we should just be determined to carry out our mission against all opposition, demons, nuclear war, whatever. The whole universe is finally subject to certain annihilation by the will of Krsna, but devotional service is eternal and is the only certain way one can save himself from devastation."
(S.P. Letter to: Makhanlal Mayapur 22 June, 1973)