"Let me say as I have always said and will continue to say; that riots are socially destructive and self-defeating... But at the same time, it's as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which calls persons to feel they must engage in riotous activity as it is for me to condemn riots. I think America must see, riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as the riots. In the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard."
I currently am staying in Medellin, Colombia, and one of the nation's most massive protests took place yesterday. I am not fully immersed in the issues, but I want to focus my attention on the protest itself. Admittedly, I have had quite a blessed and privileged life. Saying that doesn't take away from the hard work I've done, nor does it mean I had no struggles I've needed to overcome, but it does acknowledge I have advantages others don't. I am not ashamed of those advantages, nor do I think people want me to be ashamed of them. But to pretend my advantages are not there and assume everyone can have the same journey as I can be ignorant, condescending, or disrespectful. If I were to continue to ignore and assume all is equal to me and my behavior was affecting others, then coming together in unity and peace to demonstrate and communicate there is an issue is a logical response.
Growing up, I never understood protests, and I take responsibility for that. My research usually was right and left-wing news sources, which always highlighted the violence, arrests, and destruction. The message and unity always seemed to be eclipsed by the chaotic mob rule. I wholeheartedly couldn't see how anything good could come out of putting a group of passionate and intense people in one spot. It's like a bunch of matches coming together and creating a bomb. That was all until I saw the protests yesterday. When my wife and I were going to lunch, we found ourselves at ground zero of the protest. On both sides of me, hundreds of thousands of people angry at the government were walking and rallying.
Police were everywhere, and deadly anti-government riots had broken out in Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia just weeks before. I wasn't feeling safe seeing these people full of tension and passion yelling, and then something peculiar happened. Someone started spray painting a wall, and the crowd directed ALL their energy at them, telling them to stop. They started chanting "SIN VIOLENCIA! SIN VIOLENCIA!" (Without violence! Without violence!)
Here is a quick clip of them yelling at the spray painter:
Video clip of people yelling at vandal
And soon after, a group of them started cleaning the graffiti, and the crowd cheered.
Video clip of people cleaning vandalism
When reports of more destructive activity took place, the crowds voluntarily dispersed and from their homes, started something called a cacerolazo or banging pots and pans. This noise-making and chanting from homes is another way of protesting and keeping a light shined on the issues. Here is a clip of what that looks like:
The protesters wanted to take away any possibility of changing the narrative from the issues of which they were protesting and give the media no chance of reporting mob behavior. The end goal was a group of people, who didn't have the authority to change things, came together to shine a floodlight for the world to see. That light ended up being seen by international media outlets. This news being international creates conversations and puts international pressure from other governments onto their government.
As reports are coming in, unfortunately, there have been more and more reports coming of destructive behavior. Will there be any changes? I'm not sure. What I do know is that I have a heart full of respect for the Colombian citizens in Medellin by Premium Plaza mall showing me what standing for beliefs in a passionate, unified, and peaceful way looks like. I now understand that change through peaceful protest is possible.
ความคิดเห็น