Posts Tagged ‘protests’

Never a week goes by, or so it seems, without either the student press or the national press mentioning a protest at SOAS.  Conversely, the last time UCL or Imperial mounted a full-scale student assault on college property escapes me.  There is obviously a large discrepancy in ethos between the various colleges of London, yet which is preferable in a modern society?

Obviously, if you were to ask a voice of authority, the answer would be that they would prefer an obedient, submissive, student body that blindly follows the mainstream with scant regard of the more polarising topics.  However, if students were not to protest, the only protesting that would ever be done would be by Unions, such as the striking action taking place at the moment by the postmen.

In a democratic society the right to protest is one of the most ardently held beliefs alongside the right of free speech, the right to a free press and so on and so forth.  The aim of protesting should never be pure selfishness and greed, which it frequently seems with most workplace protests, as a full picture is rarely seen outside the sector, even the media falls firmly on one side or another.

In such cases as the environment and climate change or other broad topical issues there is no one else aside from the humble student willing or able to launch major issues into the press with such aplomb.  Consider that the vast majority of non-students either have a job or have much less time than students and that one of the vital factors, youth, can be found in abundance in universities, then maybe we should consider the right to protest as more of a societal responsibility.

Would a full time mother have the time to spare?  What about the business professional?  Even the workers throughout the country and world in supermarkets, on buildings, or at desks?  It is not just the lack of time; it’s the lack of inclination.  Whilst at university students have unparalleled access to information, more free time to discuss things and access to many people who may share similar opinions, or at least have the same access to information as themselves.

Whilst standard government lobbyists may make some headway the general public might express a strong opinion and the media might pressure the government, mass protests get the point across more forcefully than any of the above.  Students are ideally placed to tip the balance and make things happen.

With this great power comes great responsibility.  Topics for protesting should be chosen carefully with information meticulously evaluated.  Additionally, they should be rare to preserve their power.  If frivolous topics are used, with frequent marches, then people will be desensitised.  Above all, all protests should remain within the law.  How can an illegal protest claim the moral high ground?

People may question why students should be entrusted with such power but it is clear to see that the progressiveness of youth should be exploited to its full effect with students taking a more active role in the future of the society as they will be living in it for the rest of their lives.

By now, we’ve all seen the shocking pictures of Ian Tomlinson, the innocent bystander caught up in the recent G20 protests who was beaten and  thrown to the floor by a police officer. He died shortly afterwards. Read the rest of this entry »

Anti-capitalist protestors stole the show during the recent G20 circus, causing chaos in the City. Read the rest of this entry »