I find the concept of protest and opportunity to potentially have a disappointing effect and counter productive consequences.
Protest and opportunity captures the idea that protestors often take advantage of pre-existing occasions, transforming non-contentious performances into contentious performances.
By protestors taking advantage of a pre-existing occasion, there is potential for the original occasion to lose its impact. The people who were intending to gain a platform for their original concern are at risk of losing this due to the new performance, particularly if its contentious - or even just more contentious than the first issue.
There is certainly an argument to be made here that protest (depending on the issue) has a voice that should be heard above non-contentious issues/occassions. Although, this brings into question one's right to freedom of expression and movement. Why does one group have the right to assert their voice and opinion over another's at that event and take it away from them?
In particular, if the occasion being used was a protest movement within itself, this can have unfortunate consequences. The original movement can be tainted by the new protest. Ultimately, this has rather ironic consequences. In trying to fight for freedom of speech, or various other rights, we are infringing upon the very rights of others.
Harriet Fuller
No comments:
Post a Comment