A Changing World

On the 2nd of July 1964, the civil rights act was passed, banning discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This act was a turning point in American history that was made possible due to decades of protests demanding equal rights for people of color. Since then, the conversation around race, gender, religion, etc, has changed dramatically, and now more than ever, people are fighting to change the injustice prevalent in today's society. 2021 is an extremely different time compared to 1964. Society has come a long way since the civil rights act, however we still have a long way to go. That being said, let's take a look at some of the most monumental societal movements that altered the course of history.

India in the 1930’s was part of the British Empire, and was still suffering the direct effects of colonisation. In protest against British Taxation, Mahatma Gandhi embarked on a 240 mile journey across the coast of India to collect salt, which was illegal for him to do. 1000s of people marched alongside him down the Indian coast, all fighting to change the oppressive laws. Over 60,000 people were arrested yet this event will go down in history, for inciting inspiration amongst people who had lost hope.

Moving on to an extremley impactful event that started in the 1950s; the ANC party in South Africa organised an anti-apartheid stoppage of work in 1952, in relatlliation against a new bill that gave the goverment the freedom to investigate any political party. The defiance campaign started on the 26th of July, which subsequently became the national day of protest and mourning. All across South Africa, people committed acts of civil disobedience, reclaiming some of the power stolen from them. The government reaction was aggressive and cruel, with police being ordered to shoot demonstrators on site, leading to many deaths and injuries. However, the protests were an extremely impactful event that altered the course of South Africa for the future!

One of the most infamous and well known protests, occured in 1989 in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. 1000s of people (mainly students) crowded into Tiananmen square to protest against the Chinese Community Party and the repressive government. For 3 weeks, people marched, held vigils, and protested, demanding change and progessive from the government. The demonstration started on the 15th of April 1989 and began as peaceful protests. On the 4th of June 1989, Chinese troops ripped through Tiananmen Square firing haphazardly into the crowd, not caring who they hit. Chaos ensued, as people ran for their lives, desperately trying to avoid the spray of bullets. Over 10,00 people were rested and a minimum of 300 people were murdered. The massacre was criticized heavily by the international community with governments all around the world denouncing the Chinese government.

Finally, let's look at the 2020 protests against police brutality. On the 25th of May 2020, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis. This gruesome event sparked outrage across the United States, as well as internationally. The protests started the very next day in Minneapolis but eventually spread all across the country and into places like London, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Kazakhstan, Tokyo, Seoul, Kolkata and many more. People demanded changes to the justice system, and stood together to raise awareness.

These events are just a few huge events that were protesting for societal development, and were fighting for the rights of those discriminated against. The world has come a long way in the last few decades, with a lot of change being due to the will of people who were ready to improve the world. However, it's important to remember that even though we have come leaps and bounds, we have a long way to go. Society will never develop to the point of perfection, because development is a never ending endeavour, that will go on till the end of time. We should look back to the monumental changes people were able to make, and use them as inspiration to drive us into the future: into a future where we will never stop fighting for the rights of those oppressed.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”- Margaret Mead

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