Why do people protest?

In this blog, I would like to explore reasons why some of us feel the importance of protest and demonstrations and take to the streets. Recently there have been fully blown demonstrations and protests in different countries of the world. To my surprise the protests have not only hit third world countries but also super power countries of the world, countries with impeccable record of economic performance as well as democracy and rule of law.


In the United Kingdom, students tuition fees hiking plan triggered student protest, Conservative Government cuts plan also triggered protests from the public. Protest I think, is the only way of expressing resent from those policies that would ultimately affect our well being or acts that are already encroach our birth rights.



Demonstration is a mass expression of public sentiments: popular celebration, anger, presentation of political demands, or protest (a march or meeting of some kind). It is a right governed by and enshrined in the constitution that can be exercised at anytime.
In the 21st Century most of these demonstrations have revolved around presentation of political demands or protest. In a democracy, there is always a standard of governance that is anticipated from political leaders in control. These standards are fairly explained in their manifestos which when presented to the people they are done in the form promises, the government of the day is expected to uphold and live up to that promise.


It is not true that the police or powers that may be should have the power to stop or authorise the protest but it is important that the law enforcement agencies be notified about their taking place.


Before the victory of the socialist system, the political demonstration was a form of revolutionary struggle by the proletariat and the toiling masses. The development of the revolutionary movement was accompanied by political demonstrations; they were already a widespread phenomenon in the 17th- and 18th-century epoch of bourgeois revolutions, especially in the years of the Great French Revolution of 1789-94. In the 19th century, the political demonstration became an important form of working-class political struggle. Great political demonstrations took place during the struggle of English workers for electoral reform, the Lyon weavers uprising of 1831-34, the Chartist movement, the Revolution of 1848, and the Paris Commune of 1871.
Political demonstrations took on an especially sharp character in the imperialist epoch and were widespread in both the metropolitan centers and the colonies as a powerful form of struggle against imperialism, colonialism, racism and the unleashing of imperialist wars, and for peace and socialism.


Nelson Mandela and black South Africans used protests and demonstrations to stamp out the brutal regime of Apartheid White rule. In Ukraine and elsewhere in the world demonstrations have helped to sort out various political problems resulting from unfair and rigged elections.


Governments of the world cannot therefore rule out the possibility of having their citizens demonstrate against their policies, economic failure, nepotism/racism and rampant human rights violations.
Mass demonstrations follow where the government has conspicuously failed to accommodate the wish of the people who ushered them to power. As an example in Egypt, people were tired with rampant corruption and abuse of power from Hosni Mubarak and his government. In the Republic of Malawi, people are tired of unchecked nepotism within the ranks of the government, Forex shortage, fuel and abuse of power by the president and his political aides. There is also mass human rights violation which goes to the heart of those absolute liberties that cannot be derogated no matter what. The leader has ignored the wish of the people who voted him to power and forgotten his responsibility of upholding the rule of law.


Protest is not civil unrest but they are synonymous, political leaders would use to suppress protest in fear of civil unrest but they are not necessarily the same unless where the government does not seem to listen and not seen to be doing something about the public displeasure.


Civil disorder, also known as civil unrest or civil strife, is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe one or more forms of disturbance caused by a group of people. Civil disturbance is typically a symptom of, and a form of protest against, major socio-political problems; the severity of the action coincides with public expression(s) of displeasure. Examples of civil disorder include, but are not necessarily limited to: illegal parades; sit-ins and other forms of obstructions; riots; sabotage; and other forms of crime. It is intended to be a demonstration to the public and the government, but can escalate into general chaos. This is what happened in Egypt at Tahrir Square, Mubarak took the voices of the public for granted but ultimately was forced to resign and held responsible for those who lost their lives under his authority.


Finally I think it is a blessing in disguise to have people demonstrate against their governments. It is the only way of having the government to connecting with its people at a national level and should not look like a protest to depose that government or the president unless the president does not want to listen to their voices and their sentiments. 
To all political leaders of the world I say sort out the mess or people will not stop demonstrating because it is of right to do so.