In the midst of a global pandemic which has resulted in division, isolation and fear, we are now more than ever closer together, fighting for each other’s battles through unity and love…even if it is due to tragedy and hardship. Protests have been ever-increasingly popular, as more people have globally become vocal and outspoken about the myriad of injustices rooted in historical racism, inequality and the disregard of human rights. Summer 2020 saw the mass protest for justice for George Floyd, whereby the Black Lives Matter movement saw communities of all backgrounds coming together to fight for his justice. This month alone saw an outpour of protests, as people are no longer silenced; boldness, braveness, belief and unity are at the heart of humanity – solidarity is our superpower.
The Sarah Everard Protests
Sarah Everard was a 33 year old marketing executive and was heartbreakingly kidnapped and murdered, after walking home at around 9pm in Clapham, South London and was last seen on March 3rd 2021. However, she was more than just another statistic; she was a woman, daughter, friend and most importantly, she was a human being – a human being who deserved to be alive. She sparked an uproar of awareness after her tragic death, as women rights have exhaustingly been disregarded, where even in the 21st century, a woman’s safety is constantly at risk. Women are taught to not stay out late, stay in groups, keep checking if someone is behind them, fear leaving their homes…the list is endless. Sadly, this is disgustingly normalised within society, where we as women and girls are implicitly taught to adjust to the needs of men, yet boys and men are not educated on how to properly treat women with the equality and intrinsic respect that we deserve, as well as how important it is for them to join in the conservation about women’s rights.
This is exactly what the vigil (and later on, protest) on March 13th 2021 fought for, so that we not only pay our respects to Sarah Everard, but are also aware and not stand in silence for mistreatment of women and girls everywhere. Plus, women were not only grabbed and arrested during the vigil, but now we must also fight to ‘kill the bill’, that seeks to enable the police to take more control of protests, such as giving them the power to convict protesters. Especially as March marks Women’s History Month, to see women unify despite everything, shows how far we have come, but also how far we still need to go to reach equality and true safety.
The Tamil Genocide Protests
The Sri Lankan Civil war (1983-2009) has created severe and speechless affects towards the Tamil community, as the human rights of Tamils have been stripped. The genocide imposed on millions of Tamils (which is still continuing), resulted in innocent lives being killed and over 20,000 disappearances of families, children, mothers, fathers…simply put, human beings. Angered and frustrated, globally in countries such as, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and many more, Tamils have been protesting for the justice that we deserve by regaining power and peace in regards to our human rights by letting our voices be heard.
In the UK on March 14th 2021, on Kenton road, North-West London, hundreds of Tamils protested to not only raise awareness of the extreme current predicament that the refusal of human rights has caused. Also, protesters marched in support of Ambihai Selvakumar – the director of the International Centre For The Prevention And Prosecution Of Genocide (ICPPG) – as she began a hunger strike for the cause of truth and justice only a few weeks prior to the protest, which lasted for 17 long and painful days. However, like many other recent protests, the police aggressively clashed with the peaceful protesters, resulting in arrests which highlight the abuse of power that exists in our reality. We will not stop fighting until we are free from the chains of corruption.
Stop Asian Hate Protests
Centuries of racism.
Millions of lives lost.
Hundreds of Asians harassed and bullied daily.
8 innocent people dead.
Why? Why is this still happening? Why are ethnic minorities so easily scapegoated during social, political and economical hardships?
The Atlanta shooting on March 18th 2021 ignited outrage for millions of people, particularly Asian Americans, who grew tired of seeing the same injustices constantly towards Asians. NYPD data highlights that hate crimes motivated by Anti-Asian sentiment in New York City alone has risen by 1900% in the last one year. 6 Asian American women were killed, which violates both Asian rights and women’s rights – human rights. Only two days later, millions of people from all backgrounds joined in solidarity through protests, to show just how powerful we are when we come together. Signs were proudly held up, which wrote: “Hate is a virus, love is a vaccine!”, “We belong here!” and “Proud to be Asian!”. As a British Asian myself, these passionate words speak volumes and help me to stay hopeful about humanity. My identity is what I decide it to be associated with, such as it being deeply beautiful and it being mine and not anyone else’s to tarnish or stereotypically abuse. I am proud of who I am and where I come from! This is me! This is us!
Finally, as a woman, a Sri Lankan and an Asian, all of these protests mean so much to me on a personal level, reminding me that we don’t have to fight all of these battles alone. Protests serve to create awareness through unity, and have also made us braver and more confident to speak up. We are all superheroes when we fight for daily injustices and take back power over our lives. Not all heroes wear capes; instead, we boldly hold signs in our hands and wear scars in our hearts that make us fearless and pass this on to the next generation.
WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER!
Written By, Saambavii Suthakaran, Caterham High School
Key Videos:
Hundreds of protesters gather in London in wake of Sarah Everard's death | ITV News - YouTube
British police clash against Tamil protestors - YouTube
Multi-Generation Demonstrators Rally in San Francisco to 'Stop Asian Hate' - YouTube
