A few things really stuck out for me in this documentary. First of all, I found it really unfortunate that those few people decided to break the store front windows and property in downtown Seattle. This is what probably motivated the police to use the measures of force that they did. I also heard it used as justification after the protests were over. It's also sad because not only do the effects of this damage affect the CEO's of copies like Starbucks, but forcing these companies to close down during the protests also hurts the minimum wage workers. These are the same people that the protesters are fighting to protect.
The other concept that I found interesting is the whole idea of civil disobedience. I don't know if I have enough guts (for lack of a better word) to get arrested and beat by the police for the things that I believe in. Although politics is one of my passions, I also value my clean criminal record and have high aspirations that would nearly impossible to achieve with a police record. I've campaigned for Hillary Clinton and other political candidates that I support. I actively research candidates who value the same things I do. However, I couldn't picture myself sitting still on the group while police spray pepper spray at me. While I have respect for the people who are willing to do that, I think some people featured in the documentary are protesting for the sake of protesting.
1 comment:
It almost seems like the people participating in the riots were using democracy as an excuse for the riots. As you said, they were intentionally damaging stores and putting themselves in danger. They did this needlessly, as they had succeeded in making an impact on the first day of protesting. They drew it out because they felt like they needed to support the people they felt had been victims of injustice, but were really dealt with reasonably. They were stepping out of bounds with their views of democracy, and spectators of the events may have likened it to anarchism, when really it was just an extreme example of democracy.
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