> What's the matter with New York City?
I think the answers are quite simple, based on my experience in Washington, DC which is roughly analogous.
1) Burnout - NYC, like D.C., has a constant schedule of protests on a variety of issues. I remember that in D.C., there was always some kind of protest going on just about every day. Even if you just went to the national anti-war demonstrations every 4-6 months, you'll eventually get tired of doing the same old thing. It got to the point for me where I'd go to ANSWER demos just to socialize with out-of-town friends.
One thing I don't miss about Washington, DC is the constant schedule of boring protests. I feel like I'm doing much better political work in Kansas City than I was in Washington, DC.
2) Too much going on - This is related to the reason why professional sports teams don't always do so god in big cities on the coasts like San Francisco and Los Angeles. If there are always mass protests happening in NYC, I imagine that many of the people who attend find excuses to stop going. Excuses like family, work, and school. Excuses like social engagements, going to galleries, working on your own projects and so on.
Of course, this relates to leftist protests, not the recent immigration protests.
Chuck