Resistance and Protest
Freedom is not something that is easily obtained. It is a process that involves many aspects. Resistance and protest is an important part as it is a way to show objection and express options that are not being heard. Throughout history protest and resistance to the norm have played a big role in freedom. Here are both past and current examples of people fighting for freedom through resistance and protest:
Catalonia fighting Spain for freedom (2014-present)
People are protesting the separation from both sides. One of the protests that have taken place started out of the Barcelona headquarters where they chanted “independence” in order to get their point across. By doing this they are making it known what the issue is and not allowing Spain to ignore the issue that is at hand. Spain is fighting back as they don’t want to let one of their wealthiest regions go (2). They have rejected the results from the vote and the imposing direct rule. Yet, there are people in Catalonia that are opposed to the issue and are fighting for the Catalan President to be imprisoned. They are saying that the vote yielded false results as only 42% of Catalan voted. These people are calling themselves the silent majority and feel that they are breaking the constitution by separating themselves from Spain. Many feel that a Civil War is looming in the air as the protests are starting to get violent and no resolution is in balance (1).
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War caused many protest because people did not believe that Americans should be fighting a war that is not ours. The anti-war movement came about from Americans, mostly on college campuses, that is part of the hippie movement. They campaigned against and rejected authority all while participating in the increased drug culture at the time. October 21, 1967 marks one of the greatest anti-war protests. Protesters congregated around the Lincoln Memorial and many of them ended up arrested. This anti-war movement escalated when Martin Luther King Jr. publically opposed the war. In December 1969, the United States Government issued a draft lottery that caused many men to leave the country in hopes of avoiding the draft. Protests continued to get more violent, such as when four student protesters were killed at Kent State by National Guard Troops. The Pentagon Papers also caused more Americans to question the United States Government’s transparency when they reveled confidential information about the war that was unknown to the public at this point (3).
Israel and Palestine
Israel and Arabs have been fighting over the land in Gaza for decades. After the Holocaust and World War II the Jewish believed that they deserved their own land and were given a part of Palestine. But the Arabs that already lived there felt that this was unfair because they had already occupied the land and then it was taken over. When this happened in 1967, Israeli troops stayed for years to try and keep the piece (4).
In 2005, though they left Israel and Hamas took control. Yet they act more like terrorist organization and refuses to recognize that Israel as a country, and wants all the Palatines to return home. Instead of doing this without violent they use force in order to keep “peace” between the people. Israel has Gaza under a blockage meaning that they control all the boarders and limit who can come in and out of the country. When they try to protest against and fight for their freedom. They Israelites fight back by using tear gas, rubber bullets, and live fire against the protesters (5).
The Connection
Freedom and Protest allow freedom to be gained. This path of freedom is important as it allows for people to voice their opinions that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. When protesting, the people are voicing their opinions and the opposing party is typically the one who is against to freedom. Protest and resistance are used on a daily basis around the world to allow people to voice their opinions.
Sources
- Badcock, Harriet Alexander; James. “Why Does Catalonia Want Independence from Spain?” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 5 Oct. 2017, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/does-catalonia-want-independence-spain/.
- Ewan, Angela. “300,000 Rally against Catalan Independence as Autonomy Stripped.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Oct. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/10/29/europe/catalonia-independence-spain/index.html.
- History.com Staff. “Vietnam War Protests.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010, www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-protests.
- Kershner, Isabel. “Palestinians Clash With Israeli Troops to Protest Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/world/middleeast/israel-palestinian-jerusalem.html.
- Morris, Loveday, and Ruth Eglash. “Palestinians Clash with Israeli Troops Ahead of ‘Day of Rage’ at Trump’s Jerusalem Move.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 Dec. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/world/hamas-calls-for-uprising-as-palestinians-protest-trumps-jerusalem-stance/2017/12/07/ecee91e0-daca-11e7-a241-0848315642d0_story.html?utm_term=.8950aab60a54.