Letters Received: ‘The protesting craze’

Letters

Dear editor,

Coming home from a long Friday of lectures on a Marxist interpretation of yesterdays latest crisis in the Middle East, worrying about which protest I should attend this weekend (will X fit attractive female protester be there or not?!), I kicked off my recycled rubber slips and settled into my 100% Organic hammock and opened up the latest issue of Redbrick. I was half way through it (and my dairy-free sos roll) when I came across Fiona McCoss’ article, ‘The Protesting Craze’. I have to say, I was almost killed by my vegan treat in my righteous indignant eco-liberal fury! Ms. McCoss’ wildly-assuming, patronising, and contemptuous caricature of those participating in any form of political activity (beyond, presumably, the ballot box) is, to say the least, lacking in any factual or critical analysis of the recent upsurge in political activism in universities and wider society. On a practical level, it isn’t clear from the article how Ms. McCoss could have so accurately stereotyped or evaluated the conviction of those participating in recent campus demonstrations from her vantage point a tan ‘inaudible’ range from a loudhailer (and presumably anyone she could talk to); she certainly demonstrates no knowledge of the time dependent achievable demands and goals issued by many of the recent protests. Underlying the entire article seems to be a contempt for any form of political or moral expression; a basic confusion and frustration as to why anyone would interest themselves with the needs and desires of people they or she doesn’t know. I have concluded that this article is an extraordinary attempt at rationalising apathy, of the sort derided by the great and the good at last weeks ‘Convention on Modern Liberty’ for permitting us to sleep-walk into the panopticon of modern Britain. I’m afraid to say that Ms. McCoss’ may be in for several very frustrating and confusing years to come. I suspect that as we enter a serious economic downturn this protesting ‘craze’ might really take off and people will start hitting the streets once more to secure their ‘livelihoods’ and, possibly, their freedoms (whatever those hippy ideals mean?!). I would advise Ms. McCoss’ to get on board now, or get left behind.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Aylott, Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics IV

Dear Redbrick,

I write in response to the article entitled “The Protesting Craze”. The article portrays protests as some sort of fad or trend. Given that the protests referred to took place in response to the hundreds of civilian deaths in Gaza, I find this attempt to trivialise the issue extremely offensive. Our right to protest is something we should be celebrating rather than undermining, in numerous states this right does not exist, and yet the article has presented it as something absent of real political meaning. Did the author consider past reasons for political activism such as apartheid and universal suffrage? Were those who engaged in these struggles just part of a “craze”? The criticism of students involved in protests is highly irresponsible, why portray those who care about humanitarian issues as simply wanting to be ‘cool’? This will only fuel the anti-political climate on campus and discourage students from taking action on issues they care about. I think if the author had attempted to talk to the students involved they would find their claim to be simply untrue. Finally, when protesting concerning an issue felt passionately about, I do not think a single person will care if the author has been annoyed by their actions.

Lauren Baker

International Relations

I would like to thank you both for your letters, I think it is important to remember that comment is about pure opinion, so in the spirit of debate we will be inviting Fiona to write a response to your letters. Once published please feel free to comment and continue the discussion.