Changes in the Dynamics of Protests in 21st Century

Prithav Yogesh Bang
Kirit P Mehta School of Law (NMIMS Deemed to be University), India

Volume III, Issue I, 2020

‘Protest’ is something which is very inherent in human nature and is the true manifestation of one’s disagreement with the current state of affairs. It is a tool used by the common man/woman to take what is rightly his/her. There are various forms of protest in the world with different means but each of them has the same intention i.e to show dissent and resist oppression. In this article I have analysed four major protests which were carried out in the history of mankind. Starting with the first documented protest in the world which took place in England in 1215, resulting into the granting of a charter of civil rights by the king to his citizens which came to be known as the ‘Magna Carta’. Then I have written about the French Revolution which took place in 1787 and laid the foundation of people’s rule and civil rights. The next protest which I have mentioned is popularly known as the ‘Cedar Revolution’ which took place in Lebanon in 2005 and sparked various protests in the ‘Arab Springs’ for the  want of self-rule and democracy. And the last protest which I have written about is the #METOO revolution which gained momentum in 2018 and was a first of its kind ‘Social Media’ protest garnering support from all over the world. Hence, throughout this article I have compared the essential characteristics of all the four protests thereby analyzing the changes and differences in the protests taking place in the 21st Century.

 

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