Is Protest the Answer?
Jehovah’s Witnesses, the publishers of
this magazine, are politically neutral.
(John 17:16; 18:36 ) Thus, while the
following article reports on specific
examples of civil unrest, it does not
endorse one nation over another or
take sides on any political issue.
ON December 17, 2010, Mohamed
Bouazizi reached his limit. He was a
26-year-old street vendor in Tunisia
who was frustrated with being unable
to find a better job. He was also aware
of corrupt officials’ demands for
bribes. On that particular morning,
inspectors confiscated Mohamed’s
supply of pears, bananas, and apples.
When they took his scales, he resisted;
and some witnesses say that a female
police officer slapped him.
Humiliated and enraged, Mohamed
went to the nearby government office
to complain but could not get a
hearing. In front of the building, he
reportedly shouted, “How do you
expect me to make a living?” After
dousing himself with a flammable
liquid, he struck a match. He died of
his burns less than three weeks later.
Mohamed Bouazizi’s desperate act
resonated with people in Tunisia and
beyond. Many consider his actions
the trigger for an uprising that toppled
the country’s regime and protests that
soon spread to other Arab countries.
The European Parliament awarded
Bouazizi and four others the 2011
Sakharov Prize for Freedom of
Thought, and The Times of London
named him its 2011 person of the
year.
As that example shows, protest can
be a powerful force. But what is
behind the recent wave of protests?
And are there any alternatives?
Why the Surge in Protests?
Many protests are ignited by the
following:
Dissatisfaction with social
systems. When people believe that
the local government and
economy serve their needs, there
is little desire to protest—people
work within the existing order to
address their problems. On the
other hand, when people feel that
these systems are corrupt and
unjust and rigged in favor of a
select few, conditions are ripe for
social unrest.
A trigger. Often, an event moves
people to action, to change from
resignation to a belief that they
must do something. Mohamed
Bouazizi’s case, for example, set
off mass protests in Tunisia. In
India, a hunger strike against
corruption by activist Anna Hazare
set off protests by his supporters
in 450 cities and towns.
As the Bible long ago acknowledged,
we live in “a world where some
people have power and others have
to suffer under them.” ( Ecclesiastes
8:9 , Good News Translation)
Corruption and injustice are even
more widespread today than they
were back then. Indeed, people are
more aware than ever before of how
political and economic systems have
failed them. Smartphones, the
Internet, and 24-hour news
broadcasts now allow events even in
isolated places to trigger a response
over a large area.
What have protests accomplished?
Proponents of social unrest would
claim that protests have accomplished
the following:
Provided relief for the poor. In
response to so-called rent riots in
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., that
occurred during the Great
Depression of the 1930’s, city
officials suspended evictions and
arranged for some of the rioters to
get work. Similar protests in New
York City restored 77,000 evicted
families to their homes.
Addressed injustices. Ultimately,
the 1955/1956 boycott of city buses
in Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.A.,
led to the overturning of laws for
segregated seating in buses.
Stopped construction projects. In
December 2011, tens of thousands
of people protested the
construction of a coal-fired power
plant near Hong Kong because of
concerns about pollution, so the
project was canceled.
Although some protesters may
accomplish their aims, God’s
Kingdom offers a better solution
Of course, protesters do not always
get what they want. For example,
leaders may crack down rather than
give in to demands. Recently, the
president of one Middle Eastern
country stated regarding the protest
movement there: “It must be hit with
an iron fist,” and thousands have died
in that uprising.
Even when protesters accomplish
their aims, the aftermath invariably
brings new problems. A man who
helped depose the ruler of an African
country told Time magazine about the
new regime: “It was utopia that
immediately descended into chaos.”
Is there a better way?
Many well-known people have felt
that protesting oppressive systems is
a moral imperative. For instance, the
late Václav Havel, a former Czech
president who spent years in prison
for his human rights activities, wrote
in 1985: “[The dissident] can offer, if
anything, only his own skin—and he
offers it solely because he has no
other way of affirming the truth he
stands for.”
Havel’s words foreshadowed the
desperate acts of Mohamed Bouazizi
and others. In one Asian country,
dozens have set themselves on fire
recently to protest religious and
political repression. Describing the
feelings behind such extreme actions,
one man told Newsweek magazine:
“We don’t have guns. We don’t want
to harm other human beings. What
else can people do?”
The Bible offers a solution to injustice,
corruption, and oppression. It
describes a government that God has
set up in heaven that will replace the
failed political and economic systems
that lead to protest. A prophecy about
the Ruler of this government says: “He
will deliver the poor one crying for
help, also the afflicted one and
whoever has no helper. From
oppression and from violence he will
redeem their soul.”— Psalm 72:12, 14.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s
Kingdom is mankind’s only true hope
for a peaceful world. ( Matthew 6:9,
10) Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not
engage in protests. But is the idea that
a government by God could eliminate
the reasons for protest unrealistic? It
might seem to be. Yet, many have
developed confidence in God’s
rulership. Why not look into it for
yourself?

www.jw.org

Much as we await our salvation, we must also try to rise up and say NO to oppressive government and regime who perpetuate injustice.

But sadly this protest that is yielding good results for other countries is not working in Nigeria. The June 12 Uniuyo students' protest where some students were killed by the Police, rather than getting justice for the dead or the students, the Police is prosecuting another 40 students. Most annoying is the fact that none of our Lawyers or the Civil Socities or human rights groups have risen up to challenge this injustice against the students.

Must we keep on living this way?

psucc: Much as we await our salvation, we must also try to rise up and say NO to oppressive government and regime who perpetuate injustice.

But sadly this protest that is yielding good results for other countries is not working in Nigeria. The June 12 Uniuyo students' protest where some students were killed by the Police, rather than getting justice for the dead or the students, the Police is prosecuting another 40 students. Most annoying is the fact that none of our Lawyers or the Civil Socities or human rights groups have risen up to challenge this injustice against the students.

Must we keep on living this way?

the truth is that protests would continue but will never solve problems. it may improve some situations but create more problems. look at egypt. look at libya. look at syria.