The UW-Madison is not unfamiliar with student protests. Such protests are meant to bring attention to relevant political and social issues. I am profoundly proud of this characteristic.
Political demonstrations have many functions. They are meant to bring attention to issues that may otherwise be left unnoticed. They can urge community leaders or political figures to take a certain course of action following a protest and respond to its demands. They are also a helpful tool for citizens to have their voices heard in situations where they feel their concerns are falling upon deaf ears.
The recent demonstrations here in Madison aim to do all three of the aforementioned things, and more.
Since the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition began organizing demonstrations last semester in protest of the deaths of unarmed black men by the police, many students, particularly younger ones, were introduced to the strong interest in political and civic participation within many of their classmates, faculty and community members. Madison has always been a place of profound political engagement.
Following the initial protests, and continuing through today, I often heard those apathetic with the movement comment on the demonstrations. Some say “how annoying it is” that the protests block traffic or interrupt their studying time. Or that it is “inconveniencing” them or others.
The truth is protests are sometimes inconvenient, and that is exactly the point. The point of blocking traffic or interrupting a few minutes of study time is to bring attention to the issues the protesting groups are demonstrating about.
If your normal commute home or time in the library is interrupted you are forced to ask why. In doing so, the issues instantly become relevant and salient in your own life. You can no longer detach yourself from the protests and from the reasons your classmates and community members are protesting.
Secondly, the next time you find a YGB protest annoying ask yourself how “annoying” it must be for many of those protesting to have to live every single day in a community where they are racially profiled and systematically put at a disadvantage. Think about how “inconvenient” it is to live in a state where 13 percent of black men are incarcerated and in a county where black adults are arrested at a rate more than eight times that of whites.
In addition, protests serve an important function in urging political leaders to confront an issue. This does not necessarily mean the leaders will fix things or that they will side with the protestors, actually in Wisconsin it is often the opposite; however, it requires our political leaders to have an opinion on the issue nonetheless. Failing to address or react to issues that a political leader’s constituents find important enough to protest about makes that leader seem uncaring or thoughtless.
Finally, protests provide a voice for the voiceless. Young people regardless of race are often dissatisfied with politics and feel powerless to make a difference. Participating in protests is a useful and extremely important tool for those who are often disengaged with politics to make their feelings heard.
In tragic cases like those following the shooting of an unarmed citizen by police, protests provide an outlet for students and members of the community to come together and try their best to make sense of something that seems utterly senseless. It provides an opportunity for those who feel angry, sad, confused or other emotions to demand something be done.
Students and those associated with the university should embrace and support the amount of passion and care those, like YGB, have for our state and its citizens. They do not have to agree with their reasons for protesting but they should be supportive of their right to do so. The vilification of their activities is detrimental to our state and community. Protests, marches, die-ins, and all forms of peaceful demonstration in the name of civil justice and equality are not only essential to our community and university, but integral to our democracy.
Black lives matter, all lives matter, protests matter, Tony Robinson matters, and finding justice for his death matters.
Benjamin is a senior majoring in political science and international studies. Please send comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com
