The world and society around us are continually changing – old traditions and foundations are being destroyed, transformations are taking place in politics, public relations, and other areas. Such events can be the beginning of social dissatisfaction and, as a result, will turn into protest. That means a protest is a reaction of citizens and expression of their opinion to a particular event and can be held in its support or more often against it. Protests are most common in response to social problems, such as inequality, and to political – in order to change the course of the government or even its representatives. These two types are closely related since social protest can quickly become political. Even though protests seem to be an ineffective means of expressing public opinion, their main strength and influence can be gradually manifested.
History knew many protests, for example, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom headed by Martin Luther King, and previously they were more effective. The reason for this is that in the modern world, ideas as trends spread rapidly and are also quickly losing relevance. Thanks to technology, citizens widely share views and can convene a protest in a few days, unlike, for example, the last century, when it could take several years to spread ideas and attract people. This difference reduces the value of contemporary demonstrations, not allowing them to be impressive and quite useful in the short term.
The difference can be noted in ideas – successful protests are more accurate, have a more emotional response, and specific requirements. For example, the recent Black Lives Matter was a reaction to a severe and outrageous event. The authorities could not deny or hide what happened – the murder in Minnesota caused fear and undermined police reputation. Citizens forced authorities to take action, and as a result, several reforms were proposed. An example of protest that has not such a response is widespread demonstrations supporting environmental protection or the LGBT community. These topics are not so resonant; most citizens do not see the consequences of the discussed problems. For these reasons, they usually do not receive a rapid reaction, but draw attention to the issue and lead to gradual changes – people become more open and tolerant, take care of nature. Thus, the idea able to find a response in the people’s minds is part of the protest’s success.
Not only attention to problems but also the fact of uniting people and their changes speaks of protests’ effectiveness. The feeling of belonging to a movement that fights for the right ideas is vital for a person and gives strength. A passerby who participates in such actions can become an activist and change not only his life but also the lives of his family and friends. Moreover, people learn solidarity and understanding of other points of view by participating in and even observing protests. Even if it did not lead to global results, it could change several lives.
Summing up, it can be argued that most protests do not bring quick desired results to citizens. Nevertheless, they play a significant role in drawing attention to problems and their understanding. United by one idea, groups of people inspire each other and gradually inform many individuals. This way of communicating with the authorities is necessary since it should not imply violence and changes society for the better.