Have you ever been stuck in a situation where you feel like your decision is right but you cannot stand up because of some policy or law blocking your way? When rules become shackles the combined turmoil of dissatisfied spirits spark protests.
Protests have been known to humans probably since time immemorial but the idea has been etched in history since the French revolution of 1789. Protesting activities have seen a tremendous increase over the past few years, in almost every aspect; whether it is related to human rights, agriculture, land, water, climate change and so on.
But in 2019, there have been protests which caught the attention of everyone and have made visible the prominent shift from a human era to a protest era. Let us have a look at 3 such protests.
Protest in Tokyo against 2020 Olympics
Previously the Olympics Games were regarded as a ‘token of honour’ for the country where it was held, as it would let the participants enjoy the hospitality of the host country. But the people of Tokyo felt a bit different. About 100 protesters gathered in Tokyo (on 24th July 2019) to protest the hosting of the games as they feel that the games only contribute to poverty and harm the environment more than ever.
The example which makes the argument of the protesters strong is the spike in the total budget figure which increased substantially from the estimate-from $ 7 billion to $ 12.6 billion-while the people affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami are still struggling to get their lives back on track.
The protesters want the government to think about the amount of expenditure they are planning to do willingly for the people coming from other countries rather than investing it in the people of their own country.
Protests in Hong Kong
The chain of protests in Hong Kong has seen it all, from massive marches till violent outbreaks. The main root cause of the protests is the history; Hong Kong now belongs to China but was once a part of the United Kingdom for more than 150 years. It came to China in the year 1997 but they have their democracy and don’t follow the Chinese governance system.
The Hong Kong Basic Law has one of its tenets referring to the formation of its democracy; this Basic Law is now being breached as the central government in Beijing has declared “complete jurisdiction” in Hong Kong. Due to these protests, there has been a dip in Hong Kong’s economy and life in the city is anything but normal.
The protesters are targeting the Hong Kong airport as officials are coming in to discuss this matter and havoc is being created in all routes of transportation routes and communication channels.
Brazil’s indigenous women protest
Hell breaks loose when someone tries to destroy the home in which you live; imagine what would it be like for the people who struggle to protect their home every day? About thousands of indigenous women protested against the policies framed by the current government, led by President Jair Bolsonaro.
One of the policies suggests that the Amazon rain -forest should be made open to industries so that more mining activities can follow and the economic benefits of the increasing area under cultivation. Another argument which the president has put forward for making such a policy is the economic status of the indigenous people (about 85, 00,000) and how this policy will act as a developmental measure for them.
As per a BBC report, the protests in Brasilia highlight the role of women in indigenous communities. On Wednesday, some 1,500 indigenous women from 110 ethnic groups joined to defend their rights. "We don't have to accept the destruction of our rights," said indigenous leader Sônia Guajajara.
The people, especially women, are fighting to ensure that the indigenous community can be integrated with the rest of the population without having to compromise its natural heritage and cultural roots.
More than 1000 voices of dissent at 3 protests happening at different nooks and corners of the world reaffirm faith in the following quote.
“One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
Written by -Shruti Singh
Edited by -Maitreyi Mehndiratta
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