Protests in Modern Democracies - Report Example

Public protests Introduction: Protests in modern democracies The difference between democracies and dictatorships lies in citizen’s right to protest through demonstrations and other legal means. Protest can be physical, visual, written or oral in nature, and it is a common assertion that leadership and power in democracies is derived from the people. As such, people automatically have the right to show their displeasure irrespective of the level of power such as legislative, executive or judicial institutions through public protests. The public or sections of it also reserve the right to demonstrate against the private sectors if and when they feel those in this sector are infringing upon their personal privileges and rights as stipulated in the constitution. Protesting plays a role in democracy, as it avails to minorities who maybe out of the realms of power, a platform to voice their opinion as the public. Protests are a means of communication, which act as an agent of transparency and change within a democracy. Protests give power to the citizens in the form of political power that is useful in acting as a check and balance in democratic societies. Most protests in democracies are non-violent though some may turn violent such as in demonstrations. Public Opinion Although the public is the source of power in democracies, it does not usually proactively participate in everyday functions of government, politics and corporate life in the areas of policy. This forces the public or sections of it into a reactive role in order to address or redress issues that they feel affect them adversely. Public opinion is important to politicians as they depend on favorable public opinion and acceptance to secure their electoral positions. The public also has the official constitutional means of seeking redress on matters of policy and government activity through their vote. The constitution mandates lobbying for signatures as a type of official protest, which comes in handy when seeking to exert pressure on the government and private sector to implement the changes they deem fit. The struggle for equality by African-Americans changed the history of the US whereby the disgruntled race used protests to voice their concerns. Led my Dr. Martin Luther King, they used non-violent forms of protests, which included sit-ins, boycotts, civil disobedience, strikes, and building of alternative institutions (Gillion 2013, p.6). These actions on the part of the African-Americans were protests because these actions communicated their objection and disapproval of the status quo in politics in, which they were not allowed to vote, and in business where they were discriminated against because of their race. Transparency Agent The pressure generated from protests compels organizations and institutions to respond in a manner that takes into consideration protestors’ concerns. The process of responding makes it necessary for those within the structure of the organization or institution to evaluate the circumstances that led to the protest, which often centers on policies instituted by those in dominant positions. This generates internal and external transparency and accountability of processes within the structure. Minorities have historically used protests as a means of pressuring elected officials into transparent equitable governance; for example, in equitable education, health services, employment and welfare (Gillion 2013, pp. 6, 132). Elected government officials need minority votes and many use identification with these communities’ concerns, as a competitive advantage against their opponents. Protests form minority communities during the political reign of an elected official in government damages incumbents’ political appeal. It is therefore prudent for them to diffuse the political pressure created by such protests by acting more transparently and by putting pressure on others to do so, to the benefit of the minority groups. Change Agent Protests are an agent of change in democracies, as they force change through the communication of disapproval or negative feedback to institutions and organizations. Protests are organized and managed for maximum effect by activists who wish to bring change by putting maximum public pressure on the relevant institution or person(s). Some protests are spontaneous in nature and are sparked by events or incidences that rile the public or sections of it, forcing them to act. Protests may also take place within organizations and institutions and, may be from within or without, all in a bid to express objection or disapproval. Protests can be mistaken for anarchy especially by non-democratic governments, which are intent on running things without citizen-inspired change. It can also take place in young democracies where government officials are preoccupied with trying to secure their status or position both politically and economically. A lady from Lithuania named Emma Goldman, immigrated to New York and attracted a lot of public interest in the early eighteenth century with her assaults on government and her advocacy of free speech and protest, which hold true to this day and age (Cathy & Macmillian 2010, p. 12). Citizen Power The average citizen has very little influence on the daily running of corporate institutions, government and politics. This is the case even in countries under democratic regimes. Often, people tend to ignore the pleas of single individuals protesting and the reverse holds true for groups protesting about a particular issue. Baltimore residents held protests after a curfew was imposed due to tensions between the black communities and the police. The black community felt targeted by police officers who harassed them based on no concrete evidence save for stereotypes. This has attracted attention from all quarters in the political arena including from the President Barak Obama (CNN 2015). In their defense, the Police say they are trying to control gangs from taking control of the city thus maintain law and order and that their actions do no target the black community. There are many from the disgruntled protestors who have taken to the streets, and are now using what they call community policing. Political Power The power of the voting electorate is a form of political power because it has the power to shape the face of politics in a democracy. Protest take on political dimensions because they play out in a political jurisdiction and, therefore, affects how politicians and their ratings. Voting patterns are highly connected to the public’s opinion on issues that they feel affect them. The ideological, economic, cultural or racial issues spark a lot of public interest and, have the potential to sway support or resistance. The Mayor of Baltimore was caught up between trying to maintain peace and order while simultaneously pleasing her constituents who elected her to office. Violence rocked the city and forced the government to issue a curfew, which many protestors continue to defy. The Mayor sought to clarify her stance on seeking a balance between maintaining order and the peace with a statement that read: "…there was an effort to give the peaceful demonstrators room to conduct their peaceful protests on Saturday (NEWS 2015). Conclusion The disapproval and objection of issues, activity, opinion, policy, functional and processes in democracies is mainly done through protests that are either official or unofficial. The medium of these protests may take written, oral or visual form. Most protests in democracies is non-violent since protesting is provided for in the law although they can sometimes become violent. Protest in democracies is used to communicate public opinion through objections and disapprovals. In addition, it stimulates transparency in institutions and organizations by requiring accountability to the public. This makes protests a good change agent as it puts pressure, which produces change through the power of the citizenry. Public opinion is an indicator of the electorates’ values and preferences and their voting patterns/trends based on issues that they either approve or disapprove. References Cathy, T. M. M. & Macmillian, J., 2010. Protest Nation: Words That Inspired A Century of American Radicalism. eds ed. New York: New York Press. CNN, 2015. By Greg Botelho, Holly Yan and Dana Ford, CNN. [Online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/28/us/baltimore-riots/ [Accessed 29 April 2015]. Gillion, P. D. Q., 2013. The Political Power of Protest: Minority Activism and Shifts in Public Policy(Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics ). eds ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. NEWS, F., 2015. [Online] Available at: http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/04/27/baltimore-mayor-we-gave-protesters-space-destroy [Accessed 29 April 2015]. Reed, T. V., 2005. The Art of Protest: Culture and Activism from the Civil Rights Movement to the Streets of Seattle. eds ed. Minneapolis: University Of Minnasota Press. Read More