Why Protest ?
For those questioning the purpose of protesting, especially in COVID times. Here are a few words.
It is our right and responsibility to be that symptom, to protest is to disrupt the elitist capitalistic patriarchal power hungry pseudo democratic system we live in.
Protesting feels so futile and frustrating, its always met with critique, speculation and often violence.
The futility of protesting after a law has been passed or atrocity committed is defeating at the best, that being said, protesting loud and strong has many purposes, protesting is a show of anger and frustration at the political games being played with human lives.
The outburst of anger can also signal to the powerful that something is wrong, they tend to live in such an abstract reality they may not fully realise the consequences of their actions. Politicians are so focused on their own voter groups they easily forget and ignore what they do affects the rest of us too.
Regardless, protesting has one beautiful side to it, by showing up, we spread the hope, we show our friends and other people that we care, and there are enough of us that care and we are enough to risk something. One person going to stand among the scores screaming in frustration of having to risk their healthy and safety shows the person standing next to you or at home a glimmer of hope and inspiration.
We spread the emotion of something is wrong and we are not going lie down about it, people notice these actions. Every single on of us who protests in whatever form we deem fit is part of a bigger movement that gains momentum beyond just our individual selves.
Protests and strikes often come down to nothing, nothing tangible it seems, yet it is the ethereal intangible long lasting connection between protest after protest that builds strength in a society, it grows stronger together and each protest is bigger and louder, eventually building an unstoppable avalanche of change. Change we may not see today or even tomorrow, but our solidarity with people directly affected by whatever we are protesting inspires people around us, to protest, to go out and stand with those in harms way and protect them.
Any disruption in the “normal” functioning of a system is a sign of its imperfection, a problem to be solved, a symptom of sickness within the organism. It is our right and responsibility to be that symptom, to protest is to disrupt the elitist capitalistic patriarchal power hungry pseudo democratic system we live in.
We stand together against the majority and the elite to show them a sickness is rotting the core of our society and we do not want our lives to be played with as a game of poker for the rich and powerful. Marginalised groups of people are thrown around like chips for power gains, we will not let lives be ruined for power, there is no greater good, no one has the right to decide whose life is of an value, every life is just as valuable, that value has no binary mathematical denomination.
