In “Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the way for campus activism,” Robby Cohen discusses activist movements in Berkeley during the Civil Rights Movement era. This particular movement was fighting against policies made by the university when citizens across the country were divided over racism and equality over civil rights. These policies arbitrarily infringed on the free speech rights of people who fought for equality of civil rights, so students rose together peacefully to protest. The ability to peacefully protest has since then been a core method and right that students use to stand up to the university administration.
This makes the Free Speech Movement the father of all protests happening in university campuses today. There has been an unprecedented rate of protests on university campuses across America in these past few years. The public response to the UC Davis pepper spray incident shows us what could have happened if the Berkeley police responded with force during that night in October, 1964. However, I also believe the rise in violence during protests today is because of people on both sides being uneducated in the art of protesting. Protesters are supposed to show an open channel of communication to the establishment for discussion, not just have endless mass chants. Ultimately, a talk must be held between a representative from both sides to be able to negotiate the terms. Until this happens however, protesters will not stop occupying and chanting, so it’s unreasonable for the establishment to resort to force without giving negotiation a chance.
Question: Why do establishments choose to use force instead of negotiation time and time again? Do they not learn from the media backlash? They can even negotiate with empty promises, much like Berkeley did in the Berkeley Free Speech Movement.
Media:
Works Cited:
Cohen, R. (1985). Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the way for campus activism. OAH Magazine of History, 1(1), 16-18. doi:10.1093/maghis/1.1.16
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Please, Just Like... Don't: How to Protest: The Daily Show (2017, April 7). Retrieved May 14, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qKhjjfioC4
No comments:
Post a Comment