“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” – Mohandas Gandhi
“We want freedom by any means necessary.” – Malcolm X
From the Protestant Reformation to the Haitian Revolution to the Stonewall Riots, protests have been one of the most influential and enduring features of human history. The recent French student protests, which have grown violent since beginning in September, reintroduce a longstanding political and moral quandary: should protests be nonviolent or violent?
Violent resistance is centered on the use of physical force to intimidate, destabilize, or deter the opponent; it is often used as a last resort, after negotiations have failed to produce results. Nonviolent action, which was popularized by Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. during the twentieth century, achieves its goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, and boycotts. Often, the line between the two categories is blurry; many social movements feature both strategies, and certain acts of protest, such as blocking traffic or throwing tomatoes on a museum exhibit, fall somewhere in between.
Proponents of the resolution view nonviolent resistance as both more effective and morally superior. They believe violence only produces a short-term solution while nonviolence fosters deeper moral reckoning and greater systemic change. Nonviolent tactics may present fewer physical and moral obstacles to involvement, which allows for broader participation and more tactical opportunities. Research has also shown that nonviolent movements are twice as likely to succeed as violent ones, because the latter negatively impacts public perception of a movement. Successful nonviolent resistance has also been found to lead to durable, democratic rule.
Opponents of the resolution believe that violence is necessary in certain situations. Property damage, street fighting, and cars on fire draw media attention, they say, and spark societal reckoning by highlighting the normative imbalance of power. Especially for activists who come from marginalized backgrounds and lack support from powerful institutions, bottom-up violence may be the only way they can resist institutional power, such as a militarized police. Moreover, opponents of the resolution often view supporters of nonviolence, especially those who come from privileged backgrounds, as using the morality of nonviolence as an excuse to maintain order rather than truly supporting change.
Come join our debate this Monday at 7pm in Scott Hall!
“Gandhi during the Salt March, March 1930” by Yann is licensed under Public Domain.
