By: Quinn Hathaway

National/World Editor 

Global warming, politics, LGBTQ+. Any person can read those three words and have differing opinions from the person next to them. Usually, debate of these issues is resolved by discussion, but on a larger scale, with more heated disagreements or increased controversy, protests can ensue. Recent controversies over the Israeli-Palestine conflict sparked not only protests, but also resurfaced the age-old debate of what constitutes appropriate protesting. It should not be a question that protesting must be peaceful and should not affect a community uninvolved with the issue.

The idea of protesting can spark negative images for some and positive images for others. Many protests are executed peacefully and consist of something along the lines of  marching with signs. However, other protests start this way and end violently, with stores broken into and police dispersing tear gas into dangerous throngs of rioters. A third type of protesting is the most hazardous, where the protests start with and contain violence to get their message across. This type may seem the most familiar because of social media. A peaceful march with a unified group of people usually has less of a chance to go viral or make an interesting article in comparison to a dramatic and violent riot. This leads protesters today to be more innovative with their protests in order to obtain coverage, even if it proves to be detrimental to their community. For example, a popular type of peaceful protest is a sit-in, where protesters simply occupy an area for an extended period of time, usually in combination with chants or signs. These protests are continually circulating the news, as college students all over the US skip class and take over buildings in the fight against schools supporting Israeli efforts. Unfortunately, these protests are negatively affecting the schools in general, as seen through physical destruction and loss of education.

In these situations, universities full of students are facing sub-par education as a result of buildings being shut down and other results of the protests. One negative consequence is impacting the University of Michigan as pro-Palestinian students have taken over the board that handles student-activity money and have decided to “withhold funding for all activities,” until the university stops supporting Israeli efforts. This drastic move invokes consequences affecting students’ extracurriculars. Another example is the increase in student-to-student hostility. Many kids report feeling threatened and judged by their views, leading to overall discomfort in self-expression. Students do not come to school seeking out political opinions; they come to learn. When protests hinder other students’ education, they cross the line from expressing their beliefs peacefully to disrupting others’ lives. 

Protest controversies are not limited to only recent issues. For centuries, Americans have been expressing their views under the banner of freedom of speech. While this freedom is guaranteed, the extent of demonstrations today, in terms of protests, needs reexamination.  Overall, protest is a right, but society should not take advantage of that privilege.

[Sources: New York Times, LA Times, NBC, Wikipedia]