Nonviolent Protest

It’s hard to make people listen. It’s hard to make people want change. And using violence brings a bad reputation to what one is trying to bring attention to. Thus, peaceful protesting and civil disobedience are important tools to positively impact a free society. Accepting the consequences of civil disobedience proves to the world that one will sacrifice whatever is necessary to achieve what they are fighting for, which strengthens their message even more.

All through history governments and empires have been overthrown or defeated primarily by the violence of those who oppose them. This violence was usually successful however, there have been several situations, when violence failed, that protesters have had to turn to other methods. Non-violent protesting never seemed to be the right course of action until the ideology of Mohandas Gandhi spread and influenced successful protests across the world. Non-violent methods were successfully used, most notably, by Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.

Numerous times, protests start off as untroubling. In fact, they are beneficial to a certain extent, for they “provide a vent to society and also allow governments to understand better the issues their citizens are facing” (UN News Centre 2012). However, often these protests cross this blurry line and are rendered violent, causing danger to the American people. A recent example of a protest transforming into a riot was the Anti- Trump protest in Portland. These protests started off as being peaceful and allowed the protesters to express their opinions on the issue. However, the protesters eventually became so invested in the matter that it quickly mutated into a riot with people smashing windows, kicking cars, and vandalizing buildings (USA TODAY 2016) .This rapid change from peace to violence is a result of the blurry line between what is considered peaceful and what is considered violent. Due to the few restrictions on both the right to petition and assemble, what is perceived as violent is open to interpretation. More specifically, the protesters may not have deemed that kicking cars and smashing windows was violent; thus, they proceeded with these clearly dangerous activities anyways. Since the unlimited nature of both of these rights leaves a massive gray area in regards to what is

Some opening examples of how peaceful protests are favorable can be seen in the movie “Battle in Seattle”. There was a protest going on about the WTO meeting taking place in Seattle in 1999. The mayor knew that there would be protests. He said “Be tough on your issues, but be gentle on my town.” He was encouraging peaceful protests, stating that citizens had the right to take a stand for their beliefs. Most of the protesters were peaceful and creative, being disruptive was how they advocated to the general public their message. Their protest to get the WTO meeting to stop and to educate citizens was peaceful and effective. They went to extreme measures to stop the meeting, such as linking their arms together to form a giant chain. They stood up and stood firmly for what they believed was right, even knowing what could happen to

Peaceful resistance to laws is one of the strongest and most important foundations of a free society. Countless peaceful demonstrations have been led in the history of the United States, with positive outcomes that have helped shape the country.

In the history of mankind, there has been multiple cases of violent and nonviolent opposition. The question is which of these is more appealing than the other. In violent protest, citizens protest against their opposition with violence such as; rioting, vandalizing, arson, assault, and many other forms of violence. In nonviolent protest citizens will protest their opposition peacefully through calm and non-violent protest. This is also known as civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the most efficient form of protest in a society.

Peaceful protest leads to both positive and negative impacts on a free society. The main issue of the society isn't just people making bold moves like these, it has to do with people being able to accept them and not deal with it in a violent way, thinking that, that is acceptable and going to solve anything, when it really make it

Throughout history, there have been many unfair rules all over the world. There are people who like the rules and people who dislike the rules. Sometimes everybody dislikes the rule and wants change in them. Whenever there is a request of change of the government, the people find many solutions/methods to make the change. One of the solutions is protesting and this method is commonly used for a change. There are two types of protests, violence, and nonviolence. One example of a violent protest is the Birmingham Civil Rights Protest in 1963 and an example of a nonviolent protest is Gandhi’s nonviolent protest for independence. It is believable that nonviolent protest if the most effective way to protest for society because it leaves a great

Not only were many laws changed and created, but even more were broken in an attempt to better our once unjust society. Martin Luther King Jr., arguably the most influential leader of this movement, was an avid supporter of civil disobedience during this era. He participated in countless sit-ins and protests, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956, in which he and almost one hundred other activists were arrested for peacefully protesting discrimination in the Montgomery public transit system. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, written in 1963 after he was arrested for partaking in a nonviolent protest, King offers explanation as to why he practices civil disobedience and what he hopes to achieve in doing so. In this letter, King admits, “In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law…that would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty”. However, he also stated that in this fight, it is necessary to “[stand] up for what is best in the American…thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence”. In his words, civil disobedience is more than ignorance of law; it is just one of the necessary measures that must be taken to restore equality in a

From the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the Civil Rights Movement and the Pro-Life Movement of the 1960s, to the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street Movement of current times, “those struggling against unjust laws have engaged in acts of deliberate, open disobedience to government power to uphold higher principles regarding human rights and social justice” (DeForrest, 1998, p. 653) through nonviolent protests. Perhaps the most well-known of the non-violent protests are those associated with the Civil Rights movement. The movement was felt across the south, yet Birmingham, Alabama was known for its unequal treatment of blacks and became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement. Under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., president of

These violent protests are usually intended to affect immediate change, but rarely do more than incite rage against the protesters. Occasionally, such as in the case of the French or American revolutions, these protests create a lasting difference within a nation. It is more likely, however, such as in the case of Ferguson Missouri, that the local or national authorities will crack down on the protesters and that over time these protests are thought of as unnecessarily violent and ineffective. It is my opinion that an aggressive approach to enacting change generally becomes a needless danger to the everyday citizen. An exception to this rule are those protests and revolutions that provide freedom and aide to those who need

In any violent protesting event there will be many casualties. But on some level individuals must realize that these sacrifices are made to create equality for years to come. The individuals slain were donating their lives to the cause to make the world a better place. By looking at current social protests the Black Lives Matter Movement may come immediately to mind. This is a violent movement that arose quickly in the media due to that. Protestors from this movement are publicly creating their point and gathering support and attention nationwide which may lead to a change in policy (Tuttle). With change as the ultimate end result this method is successful in obtaining this. Reacting to oppression with violence is not only physically effective, but visually effective. It draws attention to the situation and declares that bystanders must take a side. It invokes emotion, whether it be anger, passion, fear, or guilt, and motivates people to take either side of the oppressor or the oppressed. Either way, it draws attention to the

Imagine you’re a mayor, and there is a problem that is causing people to protest. As you glance out your office window you see protesters peacefully shouting and holding up signs. Now imagine that you are glancing out the window and you see police officers, protesters fighting, rioting, setting things on fire, and trashing stores. Now ask yourself, which is more impactful? Which two cases would get you to try to make peace or negotiate with the protesters? You might say the people who are making the most commotion, although yes, it is more impactful, but is this violent approach effective in the long run? When it comes to protesting, there are many ways to get your voice heard, such as sit ins, marches, boycotts, rioting, etc. These methods are grouped into two sections, nonviolent and violent. Non-violence is the best method of protest because there are less injuries and fatalities,

In conclusion, people believe that violent protest are more effective. That believe that, despite the destruction of personal property and harm that is inflicted on other people, violence solves all problems

Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s civil rights movement once said “Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” This quote considers nonviolence the greatest force and that it is stronger than the physical power of men. In any given situation nonviolent protests are stronger than violent protests. These protests can be as simple as refusing to do your homework or as complex as the civil rights movement. History has shown boycotts, a form of a nonviolent protest, are the most efficient form of protests. Boycotts ability to indirectly harm the opposing side has consistently been effective, as shown in in the Salt March, Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Boston Tea Party, and the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott.