Unlawful Protest Action - What To Do?

[Dave A]

The right to peaceful protest is entrenched in our Constitution. It seems the right to unlawful protest is becoming embedded into our culture.

Today I believe Taxis are blockading roads all over Durban, apparently over the price of Quantum minibuses. It's chaos.

On Monday we had students going on the rampage in the Durban city centre because a bus did not arrive to take them to college.

Last week Friday a train broke down. While waiting for alternative transport to be provided, the passengers burned the train and then proceeded to stone passing vehicles.

Just a tiny slice of what is rapidly becoming business as usual in Mzanzi...

What to do?

[AndyD]

You say it's 'becoming' embedded in our culture. Surely it's an integral and long established part of our culture going back decades if not centuries.

What to do is a good question. I'd suggest just smile and carry on because stress is a killer as much as rampaging rioters are. Using any tactics to prevent this behaviour will be considered simply another attempt to enforce colonialist/white values in a country where they have no place.

[Citizen X]

Where rights are infringed, you can obtain an urgent interdict. Whether all protesters abide by this interdict is anyone's guess.
However, in the workplace where employees engage on an unprotected strike and engage in misconduct such as damage to property, the urgent interdict does work

[Dave A]

You say it's 'becoming' embedded in our culture. Surely it's an integral and long established part of our culture going back decades if not centuries.

If we go back a few decades, back then the legislation was draconian and the very legitimacy of the government of the day was questioned. Do you suggest the same applies to this day?

Surely the purpose of incorporating peaceful protest into the Constitution was to allow this channel of expression in a healthy way. What we have nowadays is a long way from healthy.

I also don't recall us having "protest action" being this extreme in the Mandela and Mbeki era - or even at the commencement of the Zuma era. Up until and including Pholokwane, it was song and dance...

What to do is a good question. I'd suggest just smile and carry on because stress is a killer as much as rampaging rioters are. Using any tactics to prevent this behaviour will be considered simply another attempt to enforce colonialist/white values in a country where they have no place.

You've got me thinking about cause and effect.

Could it be that protest action is becoming more extreme because lawful peaceful protest has been entirely ignored by those in power of late?
Which in turn means people have had to resort to more dramatic means to get attention and redress for their issues?

Is the problem the result of the culture of the populace, or actually the culture of government?

[Blurock]

It defies reason how these protesters think. My view is that it is just lawlessness and should be dealt with as such.
Please explain to me how you want me to have sympathy for your cause if you randomly stone motorists or attack innocent bystanders? These could be/are the very people who could have sided with you and could have raised awareness of your cause. You are mad at your councillor, appointed by the party that you voted for, but now you want to fight with me? Why do you not take it up with your elected officials?

If you are not happy with the price that you pay at Toyota, why don't you boycott them and buy another product? Why do you want to destroy other people's property if your case is with Toyota or the insurance company or whoever? Why can you not resolve matters in a civilised and dignified way? Why do you have to behave like animals? If you are unable to negotiate, there are professional people who can take up your cause and do it for you. Get help.

I have no sympathy for hooliganism which in the past has led to destruction of property, including schools, libraries and structures that serve the community that these people live in. This idiotic culture will have to be dealt with as it is getting out of hand and they are literally getting away with murder.

[Citizen X]

You say it's 'becoming' embedded in our culture. Surely it's an integral and long established part of our culture going back decades if not centuries.

What to do is a good question. I'd suggest just smile and carry on because stress is a killer as much as rampaging rioters are. Using any tactics to prevent this behaviour will be considered simply another attempt to enforce colonialist/white values in a country where they have no place.

"A HUNGRY mob, is an angry mob."

[Dave A]

It defies reason how these protesters think. My view is that it is just lawlessness and should be dealt with as such.
Please explain to me how you want me to have sympathy for your cause if you randomly stone motorists or attack innocent bystanders?

"A HUNGRY mob, is an angry mob."

Two thoughts that seem to belong together.

[Blurock]

The problem is that anarchy is allowed to get out of control. Lawlessness is evident everywhere. It is not just the mobs, our business people set the bad example of driving like hooligans on our streets (don't just blame the taxi drivers). Jumping queues, skipping red lights, speeding in residential areas etc.

It has become a jungle out there where dog eats dog and everyone is just interested in their own wellbeing. What has happened to Ubuntu? maybe it is because our, no THE president, the politicians, government and business leaders are setting such a bad example. People in power is showing total disregard for the wellbeing of the poorer masses, although that is not an excuse to burn down a school or library.

[Blurock]

"A HUNGRY mob, is an angry mob."

I know many poor people and none of them gets involved in acts of violence when they are not happy with their circumstances.
They also do not steal and despite their poverty, they still share what they have. Maybe it is because they know suffering, they can imagine what other poor people must go through and they do what they can to assist others. So many privileged people would not even give a pesty car guard one rand.

[Dave A]

My experience is when people get angry, sound reason and good judgement tends to disappear.

[Blurock]

My experience is when people get angry, sound reason and good judgement tends to disappear.

It is actually the mob mentality. Schoolboys who abide by the rules and will never do anything wrong, turn into little monsters when under cover of a crowd where they would not be held personally accountable. In politics and society, we unfortunately let this mob mentality and total anarchy get out of hand without the slightest consequence to the perpetrators.

What happened at Makana is sad and tragic and rightfully so, the police were held accountable, but nothing is being said and done about the 11 people that were murdered (including police and security officers) before the actual massacre. The gangsters who were responsible for burning down libraries and schools (can you imagine!) in last years violent protests are being rewarded in various ways instead of being in jail!

[AndyD]

You've got me thinking about cause and effect.

Could it be that protest action is becoming more extreme because lawful peaceful protest has been entirely ignored by those in power of late?
Which in turn means people have had to resort to more dramatic means to get attention and redress for their issues?

Is the problem the result of the culture of the populace, or actually the culture of government?

I'd be a lot more inclined to entertain this line of thought if the violent actions of protesters were aimed at institutions or property of government instead of stoning and overturning cars on highways, setting fire to soft-target infrastructure and looting foreign owned businesses etc.

[Blurock]

I do think that the problem starts with government, because the whole system is not working. Government is ineffective and not doing their job.

It is no use making new rules and laws if it is not being implemented. Why do people ignore red lights and stop streets? Because they are allowed to do so. If there is no effective policing it will just get worse. (I am not advocating for a police state though!)

The structure of our society and our moral fibre is being influenced by bad examples who are allowed to get away with breaking the law. Kids may think that it's ok to do like their leaders and follow those bad habits.