It hurts my brain and my heart to see history repeating itself so brutally and painfully…
I grew up reading stories of injustice and inequality, wishing I had been alive in the ’60s and ’70s so I could have been part of the Civil Rights Movement. I had no idea that it never actually ended.
In 2020, when the world and this blog took a dramatic turn towards anti-racism and Black Lives finally Mattering, it seemed there was a global awakening happening. In late 2020, when I watched The Trial of the Chicago 7, my heart broke to see that not much had changed in 50 years… This was the catalyst for me to quit my project management job in London and seek work that would be part of making the world a better place. I intended to work in human rights, but ended up in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, which I’ve since realised is more Human Resources than Human Rights.
And now, here we are, in 2024, with student protests erupting across campuses in the US and spreading to Europe and the rest of the world too, how do the people in power respond…?
The exact same way they did in the 60s and 70s, and every other time there has been an uprising for freedom, peace and shared humanity – it is met with brutality, oppression, and inhumanity?! Not only that, but it is being misrepresented, not just in the media, but at the pinnacle of those who hold power – right from places like The White House itself, with Joe Biden referring to these protests as including ‘harassment’, ‘violence’, and ‘blatant antisemitism‘, when this could not be further from the truth?! The only violence is from the police being sent BY university authorities to arrest their own staff and students?!
Make it make sense!
Why would we educate people about historical oppresssion and inequality if we did not want them to do something about it in the present day?
Why are past protests now seen as palatable but present day objections must somehow be wrong?
Have student movements EVER been on the wrong side of history?!
Make it make sense.
As frustrating and heartbreaking as it is to see how poorly the protestors are being treated (staff as well as students!), it gives me hope to see the momentum spreading across the world, even here to Ireland:
Students demand Irish universities take a stand on Gaza
Come join us in Cork this Saturday at 1pm in Grand Parade and show the students your support.
Be on the right side of history.
Siobhán Kangataran 