PEACE THROUGH PROTEST
6 Jun 2020 .  -

“An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is, in reality, expressing the highest respect for the law”―Martin Luther King Jr.

It wasn’t too long ago that rights for the LGBTQ community took a major leap forward by way of what’s referred to as The Stonewall Riots but in fact, there never was a riot, not by definition anyway. The looting and destruction were actually caused by police when they raided the bar and the few reports of things being thrown at the police hardly amounted to a riot, but it certainly did make for great headlines. With precedent having been set in New York, it was only a matter of time before Toronto queers were to find themselves in middle of Operation Soap, 52 divisions brazen raids on four bathhouses which saw hundreds of men arrested, charged and publicly humiliated. Within twenty-four hours over 1,000 people marched down Yonge Street, changing the course of history for Canadian queers. And then there were (and still are) the public AIDS demonstrations that stopped parades, interrupted city hall and provoked many people with their megaphone reminders of the recent dead. These were significant moments for our queer history that at the time were thought of as riots but in reality, these protests are our way to begin setting things right. 

The idea of protests, demonstrations and public displays of rebellion may not sit well with some but it’s an integral part of the political system. Historically, push-backs in the form of protests and demonstrations have proven to be just as valuable. That being said it’s also critical to recognize that most, if not all of the looting, rioting and destruction is not coming from the organized protesters but a handful of opportunists, and this holds true for many significant protests that have shaped some of the public policy we enjoy today. 

The most outrageous thing about the George Floyd tragedy is not that he was murdered but that he’s yet another victim in a long, long, long history of police violence against people of colour. The murder was filmed on multiple cameras so you’d think charging all of the officers right away would have been a no-brainer. But as history demonstrates the level of systemic racism within the force means these crimes often go unpunished and in many cases cops have been rewarded with paid leave. We just can’t keep blaming 'a few bad apples' when this stuff happens, because we’ve been in a simmering pot of water for a long while now and it’s just exploded into a rolling, protest that will only get hotter if we try and put a lid on it. Of course that is exactly what many politicians are hoping for, that we all just simmer down. But for any longterm resolution to take place we actually need the water to boil over, a massive outpouring designed to reset the system, or at least shift it forward a big nudge.