Why Do We Protest?
- Ondy Ho
- Jun 13, 2020
- 4 min read
In our time, people seem to be protesting just about everything. From making a revolutionary change, supporting or opposing an ideology to something silly such as anti anti-movement. What do people actually want to obtain in these protests?
The year 2020 does not keep us idle. Starting from the very beginning (actually last December) we had what has become a global pandemic; Hong Kong Protest continues; large scale forest fires; BREXIT (if you remember...) and many other major events. Perhaps it is the same every year due to the rapid spread of news nowadays but nonetheless, many have felt that this has been a difficult year so far.
Just June alone, we have yet another Tiananmen Square memorial(6/4), the success of recalling a mayor (6/6), and now George Floyd. Technically speaking, what happened to George Floyd was at the end of May but it got here a bit later. If we really look at it, racism started decades ago.
The U.S.
On the 25th of May, 2020, George Floyd was arrested for the suspicion of using counterfeit bills, "suspicion". His life was taken away by a painfully long time of about 9 minutes, handcuffed, and with a police officer's knee on his neck. The incident was heart-breaking. Memorials, rallies, and anti-racism protests began. As police brutality continues, the movement becomes more and more violent.
Hong Kong
In 2019, Hongkongers protested (continuing) against the passing of a bill that would allow the CPC (Communist Party of China) to extradite from Hong Kong and as an extension, have more power over it, breaking the One Country, Two System policy. As police brutality continues, the movement becomes more and more violent.
Taiwan
What could the peace-loving Taiwanese people do to be in the same article? Well, on the 6th of June, the people of Kaohsiung legitimately recalled their current mayor, the former celebrity in politics, Han. The result has not just passed the benchmark of recalling(54 thousand) but with more votes against than for him then (93 vs. 89 thousand). There were no riots or protests but now is merely the calm before the storm and we know that it's coming.
As Han loses, his supporters whom we have seen on many occasions to be irrational and deeply misled, are calling for what's called "reprisal attack", implying that they too, will start their recall campaign. For starters, the speaker of Kaohsiung City Council jumped from his 17th-floor apartment and lost his life on the very night of the recalling (6/6). The public does not know much but it's clear that he was a big supporter of Han.
Why do we protest?
Let's break it down first by "what is a protest".
A protest is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or course of action, typically a political one.
In all three cases above, including that in Taiwan, we see clear reasons, namely political threat, social unjust and the disapproval of a public figure. Hence, it is not difficult to see why. That said, "why though?" some people may still ask this question implying that the result derails the cause or that the cause isn't justifiable.
The most common counter-argument is that "through the stages of protest, the economy is impacted", or that the it should stay "rational". These are nothing that we disagree with. Of course, it is our constitutional right to express opinions and exercise our civil rights. The last thing anyone wants is civil unrest and more suffering, which more often than not, is what the opposing party wants to lead in.
It's never easy to debate which is more important, money or human rights. On surface, capitalism seems to keep the world running but make no mistake, it is humanism that makes the world an endurably better place. The point here is simple and clear, money comes last among a handful of items to have a functional civilization, freedom, equality, and education; money is merely the tool to trade and exchange.
What we all need to understand before arguing even the legitimacy of any riots, parade, strike and sit-ins is that people are not "too bored" to have done so. As it happens, the most random and trivial forms of protests were fought for at the beginning with blood too before people acquired their basic rights.
Many times we see how a non-violent movement started, has a bullet-point message but ended up chaos before their voices are heard. Lives were taken which shouldn't have been, if we just learned to listen and empathize with others. Again, why do people protest? We don't see the rich do so; we don't see the powerful do so; we certainly don't see the government do so. It is not that they have it all and live perfect lives but rather that whatever they lack, they can substitute.
Remember a few years ago, a small group of people lay their lives on train tracks and also a small group of people complained about it making them late for work? We hear more on the latter, more precisely, just drama and not the story because that's how ratings work. Remember last year when the HonKongers originally just wanted things to remain as promised "by the government" and then forced into having a war? How did we comment on the airport strike, having the freedom they don't? Remember when Floyd was murdered by the police and people shouted again "Black Lives Matter"? There are others correcting them, saying "All Lives Matter" when they know damn right that all lives indeed matter. We especially defend the weak because to the racists, some lives don't matter at all.
Why do we protest?
We do so because justice is yet there yet. It doesn't come free and we respect anyone who fights for the benefit of others and not their own.
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