There seems to be two main goals of the protesters. To prevent the WTO from holding their meetings, and to do this without using violence. It seemed that each protester had a different reason to stop these meetings from happening, whether it be child labor, or even saving turtles, but it all linked back to the WTO and their actions.
Yesterday was the first day of protests, and the protesters achieved both of their goals, as the WTO had to cancel their board meeting, and there was no violence, by the majority of the protesters. The protesters were NOT breaking any laws, they were just using their right of freedom of speech to try and convey their message. However, some protesters decided to get violent, as they believed that this would be the best way to make their point, and they went around smashing windows, and vandalizing the streets. Due to these actions, the police decided that all the protesters should pay. The next day, the riot police came out in heavily armored gear, and started using violence, and excessive amounts of tear gas against the protesters, the majority of which were still non-violent. Even those who weren't protested were still punished, I happened to come across a pregnant woman who was hit with a baton in her belly, causing a miscarriage. It really doesn't make sense to me, that just because she works near the protests, and has absolutely nothing to do with them, she should lose her baby? I agree that some of the protesters were turning violent, and action was needed to be taken against them, but what is the need to hurt everyone else? If there is anyone breaking the law here, I am certain it would be the police,as they should not have the right to use force on innocent people.
The media have also played a large role in favor of the police, as they are broadcasting the protests in such a way that it seems like the protesters are the ones who are causing the harm, and the deserve this punishment. The media are deciding what to broadcast, and they are only focusing on the few violent protesters, instead of the thousands of protesters that are non-violent and just trying to prove their point. The media is very bias towards the police, and they make the protesters look very bad, and they try to put people on the side of the police.
I understand that there were protesters who broke the law, and they should be arrested, and punished, however is there really a need to arrest hundreds of other people just standing on the street? I don't think so. Hopefully, the protesters will keep protesting, and keep doing what they feel is right to make this world a better place, and maybe the police and the governing bodies will finally open their eyes and realize that what they are doing is unjust, and highly irresponsible of them. Right now, there is only one thing that we can wish for, and that is that someone will Save the Protesters!!!
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