Protesting, a public act of opposition and objection to something.

The freedom to protest, the freedom to express our disapproval against something coming from a higher authority, is one of our most important freedoms. Protesting is the freedom of speech, without it we are silenced.

Though, Trump is currently threatening U.S. citizen’s right to free speech. His deployment of the National Guard during the latest ICE protests in California are a direct attack on your right to protest. His orders to ICE, which push for them to expand their efforts in democratic (and sanctuary) cities, which furthermore happens to be where the majority of protesting is taking place, to create mass deportations, is a direct attack on your right to protest and your right to voice your own opinion. If actions of his like these keep happening, protesting will become increasingly unsafe, speaking up will become increasingly unsafe.

The United States is a democracy and if you are a U.S. citizen, non-violent protesting is not just voicing your opinion but also exercising your 1st amendment right to petition the government. It should never be a crime to make an opinion of yours known to your government and ask for the change you would like to see in your country. If we do not speak up now, at a time where our right to protesting (that we currently still have) is being threatened, we may not have that right in the future.

Protesting has been historically known to start mass movements and create real change around the world. It has advanced human rights, social change, and democracy by allowing citizens to have direct participation in public affairs. It exposes flaws and issues within governance and demands for those flaws to be rectified by those with the power to do so. It also gives a voice to those who have been ignored, discriminated against, or who aren't able to speak up for themselves. It provides a vital voice for minority groups. Now is the time to use your voice for those who can’t.

Protesting generates a voice that has the power to unite a diverse community of like minded people all with the hope of making a difference. We must not forget, our voice is stronger in numbers. Community is a symbol of strength. When we unite to fight for a cause we believe in, together, we can make a difference.

With over 2,000 protests nationwide and over five million people, the recent ‘No Kings’ protests, opposing Trump’s authoritarian-like presidency, are just one example of how one main cause can bring mass amounts of people together. People rallied in front of city halls and on the streets in cities all over the U.S. with posters, costumes, flags, and their voices. Tens of thousands of us came together that day to march, chant, demand, and make sure our voice was heard.

Protesting is important because it informs. It draws attention to injustices and informs the public about those injustices. Protests have the ability to deliver a great deal of information and messaging in short and simple but strong and powerful words. When this messaging gains media attention, the information, its effect, and people's responses can be widespread. It can also show the world that many of us are unhappy with the government’s actions and that we are calling for change.

The more attention a movement has, means the more people it can reach and the more change it can create. Furthermore, it can help sway public opinion on a matter which creates greater noise about it. Add our younger generations' great affection for social media to the mix and the noise just gets louder. To simply put it, the more noise we make, the harder it will be for higher authority to ignore.

An example of recent protests that brought about, and are still bringing, change and awareness are the George Floyd protests. After the injustice and the thousands of worldwide protests condemning it, states all around the U.S. passed more than 140 bills meant to create more oversight and accountability for police and place limits on their use of force allowed. While we have yet to see the grand amount of change we were hoping for and instead have been watching the Trump administration work to revoke police reforms and essential databases meant to prevent police officers with a history of misconduct from transferring to other departments, we have created something no one can take away. Awareness across the world with conversation following it.

The George Floyd fatality created a widespread movement led by global conversation about the racism and mistreatment towards people of color by the police which calls into question their use of force and the amount of power they have. There were conversations about racism before George Floyd, but in comparison they weren't nearly as received. George Floyd got the world listening and responding. Now we can only work to further our efforts like the George Floyd and ‘No Kings’ protests in hopes of eventually gaining an administration who cares about the people.

To publicly protest is to make a political statement and demand answers from people in positions of political power, effectively putting an issue on the current political agenda. When we put an issue on the political agenda, we can make sure the political candidates we vote for in the future will support our causes, will take action where we want them to take action, and will do it in a way we support. We can only work to set our future up the way we want and hold others accountable if we make our voices heard. Now is the time to stand up for ourselves and create the change we want to see.

Why is the Freedom of Protesting So Important?