Protests Should Not Be Criminal

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Peaceful protest ceases to be peaceful once it is criminal. In fact, it takes a dangerous turn and presupposes it is right, it is the truth. That is down right impossible. The ‘truth’ has two sides, like saying the sun is square in shape and the other side saying it is round. Truth is subjective. It is political. It is territorial. It is religious. It is partnership-based e.g. NATO and OPEC.

Real peaceful protest takes that into consideration, that we see the world through different lenses and that not carrying placards or shouting in the streets or campus, does not mean we don't have opinions about whatever issue is currently in the cauldron. Peaceful protest recognizes her right to protest and my right not to.

Peaceful protest is peaceful because it is not obstructive. Sometimes protests turn into dictatorship. I cannot carry a placard about a certain dictator, then block an entrance to an institution or prevent other people from going about their daily lives. Dictatorship. That is what it would amount to and it’s counter productive. How? Protest is two-pronged. It is to achieve subjective outcomes e.g. changing the sun from being round and making it square. It is also seduction, convincing as many people as possible that the sun is square. That cannot happen if they are hostile to my cause because I obstruct roads and entrances to where they work. Mind you, it can lead to losing their jobs.

The right to protest works in tandem with, the right not to.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Blogger Without Borders

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