The Difference between Peaceful Protests, and Violent Revolution = TIME

Yes, you would be daft if you did not realize the huge amount of protests all over the middle-east and Africa.  But what separates the desperate plea of a peaceful people from outright armed revolution.  When is enough, enough?  Yemen continues to struggle against its incumbent leader even attracting the support of a Yemenite general and his men. The strategy of today's dictators seems to be hide in their palace or bunker and play a waiting game. For against their very own province, how could they win such a battle against it's people.