Protests have existed for thousands of years, and they consist of a statement or action expressing disapproval of an action taken by authority. Protests have grown and evolved in many ways, including calling more people to action, using unique strategies to incite speculation or interest, or even carrying out more arbitrary schemes (but sometimes useless, confusing, or downright harmful) to draw more media attention from news channels and social media to their cause.

There are four well-known forms of protest: marching, in which groups of people walk together through the streets; rallies, in which people gather to hear speakers; pickets and sit-ins, in which people surround, occupy, or block off an area; and riots, in which protests turn violent against people or property. Apart from these, there are numerous other ways to oppose certain schemes or plans, some of which are happening currently!

One of these unique protesting methods is taking place in Paris, where Parisians intend to excrete in the Seine, the French capital’s river, to oppose the whopping 1.4 billion euro scheme to clean up the river, which they clearly oppose and believe is wasteful. The river was intended to be used for the Olympics, and there was news that the president intended to swim in the Seine to prove its cleanliness. This incited further rage amongst citizens, who then devised a rather strange and unconventional manner of protest: pooping in the river before the president’s scheduled swim. Despite its clearly unconventional nature, it has drawn enough media attention for people’s views to be covered and their opinions to be heard regarding this issue.

Regarding a more prevalent and deeply damaging issue, the genocide in Gaza, opposition to Israel and US ties to them have been expressed through protests on university campuses, which have taken place on nearly 140 college campuses across the US. Students say they are voicing opposition to their university’s complicity in Israel’s assault on Gaza. While this has garnered some media attention and prompted Joe Biden to denounce the protests, it may not have the intended effect of pressuring the government or their university to cut ties with Israel.

Instead, there may be increased opportunities for police brutality in breaking up these protests. More than a hundred students were arrested at Columbia after police officers entered the campus. Furthermore, protests spread to Europe as well, where riot police dispersed protesters at the University of Amsterdam with batons and even mechanical diggers.

While protests are important, if not necessary, for expressing opposition to power and authority, they may be used as another avenue for the same authority to exercise even more power over them and demean them. Despite this, the tragic and harmful conflict and genocide continue to require global attention and pressure from the people, which therefore requires intentional and carefully planned protests as well as clear and precise follow-up plans, goals, and strategies in order to be foolproof and effective.

So, are protests effective? In my opinion, yes, they still are. Despite the numerous challenges and setbacks faced by protesters, which hinder their ability to communicate their message and spread awareness about their cause, they are able to garner attention and remain persistent in their efforts. Furthermore, many of these recent protests are spearheaded by the younger generation, who will eventually become the future of our political climate and who are able to wield the tools of our modern age, such as news coverage and the media, to spread their messages. In order to play our part as well, even if we are unable to champion causes we believe in, it is important to stay informed and aware of our volatile and ambiguous political climate today.

Do Protests Matter Anymore?

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