Protest Movements Are Inevitable in Our Society - Essay Example

Protest Movements It is undeniable that protest movements occur almost every day in the contemporary world. The term protest may refer a way of self-expression. It can also mean the use of words or actions to present an objection of certain issues. Many scholars define protest as an action or behavior that addresses grievances including elimination of injustices (Karl-Dieter Opp, p.34). In most cases, individuals engage in protest movement so as to make their views public, heard and acted upon. Protestors also focus on influencing public opinion to successfully address issues affecting people in the society. People usually relate protests with a lot of negativity, however, protest movement is a form of negotiation tactic that most people adapt to air out their views and makes their voices be heard. The most frequently used protest tactics during protest movements are strikes and mass demonstrations, and most states allow individuals to demonstrate more so they encourage peaceful demonstration as opposed to chaotic protests. The street protest participants should not involve themselves in activities like looting, steal, of commit other forms of crime. Peaceful demonstrations are in most cases successful. In most cases, inequality and discrimination in the society are some of the leading factors that trigger protest movements. Protest movements are very useful in the society and they enable people to talk about their feelings and address issues affecting them. However, protest movements can as well be very destructive especially chaotic demonstrations and interfere with the wellbeing of individuals in the society. Today, many states offer individuals with the freedom to protest or engage in protest movements as a way of sharing their views and feeling on certain issues affecting them and the society at large. Truly, freedom of expression is a constitutional right of every one in many nations today. This includes freedom of protest and demonstration among other social movements. For instance, In the United States, individuals’ right to free speech is outlined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution and so every American has the freedom to protest but without arms. Apart from being a constitutional right, protests are like democracy in action. In democratic nations, citizens have a right to share their opinions peacefully without any chaos involved. They are free to protest on different issues including unemployment and some government policies among others. Democracy does not only involving casting votes but also participation in political process like protesting or petitioning for change in a particular policy. Because democracy encourages active involvement of citizens in the governing process, protest is a like a form of check and balance that enables citizens ensure that politicians are accountable and operate in line with the people’s interests. Secondly, protest movements help in highlighting issues and problems in the society. There are many issues affecting different communities and these issues are all important especially to those affected by them. Without protests, these issues cannot be made known to other individuals in the society, and so issues affecting members of the society should be made public and understood by others and this is only possible through protests and mass media. Therefore, protest movements are very helpful in the society especially when it comes to addressing some of the issues affecting societal members. Those engaged in protest movement not only address people surrounding them but a large audience. Actually, they do aim at reaching the entire world (Cammaerts, Mattoni and Mccurdy, p.256). Advocates of protest movements argue that protest is a form of public expression and the reflection of their values and behavior. Through the freedom of protest and demonstrations, people are capable of speaking out issues that really affect them in their daily lives. Thirdly, protest movements are all about social justice. For instance, demonstrations attract media to cover the issues and pass them to the targeted group as well as other people who may be interested in joining the protest. The most commonly known advantage of protest movements is that they can get a lot of attention and make a difference in the society and individuals’ lives. Media coverage is very essential in keeping the public informed on ongoing protests and issues affecting individuals in the society. However, the media can be biased and many individuals engaging in protest movements may have no or little mass media resonance (Cammaerts, Mattoni and Mccurdy, p.256). Many changes witness in the world throughout history are brought or shaped by direct actions of individuals through protest movements. Issues affecting individuals in the society can be made public when the press and media are free to share such issues with the rest of the public. There would be more injustices, abuses and problems going unnoticed if the press fails to intervene or no protest organized to aggressively address such issues. Therefore, protest movements play a significant role in drawing individuals’ attention to issues affecting them either directly or indirectly and are able to come up with ways to solve such problems. Lastly, protest movements help in enhancing a sense of solidarity. Protestors are usually individuals with the common interest or goal (Karl-Dieter Opp, p.34). Protest movements attract individuals from all corners of the society to join forces and address various issues affecting them. This way, they will be able to operate together to achieve the common goal that benefits all of them. Instead of just doing nothing and complaining about issues affecting the societal members, it is good to join others and protest with them and share your views. In most cases, those who protest are the disadvantaged in the society (Edwards, p.15). Protests are all about standing in solidarity with other individuals who share the common belief and petition for what is right. Again, the authority as well as the public only takes notice the movement when the protestors are many. More so, protest movements also assist in establishing activist relationships. Through protest movements, various activists are able to meet, network, share ideas, and build useful community. Many activist organizations are formed through protest movements. On the contrary, protest movements can be very stressful especially chaotic demonstrations. Anti-protest individuals claim that engaging in protest movements is not necessary and not appropriate way to share opinions or feelings on certain matters. They believe that demonstrations causes death and other criminal activities such as looting or even raping. The ignorance of benefits associated with protest movements shows that this argument is flawed. Refraining individuals from protesting is denying them their constitutional right to have freedom of expression. This will also stop individuals from sharing their views and addressing issues affecting them. The main problem with this argument is that anti-protest group only focuses on the negative side of protest movement like chaotic protests and ignores the significant role played by protestors in the society. The truth is, protest movements are very useful in the society and bring necessary changes including oppressive policies among others. In conclusion, protest movements are inevitable in our society. The contemporary society is characterized by dirty politics, corruption and inequalities which trigger protest movements. In many countries, individuals are entitled to freedom of expression and this includes protests and demonstrations. Therefore, people have right to demonstrate so that their concerns can be listened and responded to. Protest is the most appropriate way to directly communicate with the wider public encouraging them to join the movement. More so, protest movement helps in empowering individuals to combine forces and challenge what is wrong and what is affected them in the society. Indeed, there are many benefits attached to protests and so protesting and the freedom to protest is an absolute necessity for every societal member. Every societal member should be active in protests to help others address issues affecting them and bring about necessary changes. Failure to protest will only encourage issues like oppression, corruption, and inequality among others. Works Cited Cammaerts, Bart, Mattoni Alice, and Mccurdy Patrick. Mediation and Protest Movements. 2013. Edwards, Gemma. Social Movements and Protest. Cambridge University Press, 2014. Karl-Dieter Opp. Theories of Political Protest and Social Movements: A Multidisciplinary Introduction, Critique, and Synthesis. Routledge, 2009. Read More