Worrying that protests are marred by violence and criminality

THE democratic space in which we operate allows for a robust exchange of ideas, yet we find ourselves facing more violence as a means of expression of dissatisfaction. All over the country protests are turning violent, while there seems to be an intolerance for opposing ideas.

We seem to have lost the art of persuasion. This sad turn in our contestation space is of course led by institutional intolerance and subtle violence against the dignity of the citizenry.

Institutional state violence – be it by the council, provincial or national governments – invites a response that is not always rational. The question arises as to what is an appropriate response when the public participation processes become a mere tick box exercise and institutional power is used to trash community will and desire.

Even our courts are being ignored, thus diminishing the protective net for citizens against the abuse of state power.

Inadequate government response to human crises, such as we have seen in Hout Bay, where people displaced by the devastating fire are housed in temporary structures that lack the basic insulation to deal with the cold winter, is used by the protesters as a reason for violent response.

And the unwillingness of the government to listen to the demands of the people about municipal boundaries in other provinces sent them to the streets, turning the protest into violence and criminality.

Sometimes those who have their hands on state power tend to ignore community demands because of narrow political or economic interests. Whatever the case might be, we should not disregard the impact of institutional violence on poor people who may not have the means of appropriate expression of dissent.

Has the perception not been created that the state in all its forms and spheres cannot be trusted as honest brokers? Consider how the will and desire of the community is being trashed.

There are many such examples in the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town, where the urban edge is moved to benefit greed development in spite of credible community opposition.

Having said that, is violent protest an option at all? What has happened to the good old round-table discussion? How did we get to this low, where the only straw left to clutch at is violence and criminality?

Is it that easy for those with criminal intent to hijack legitimate protests or is the violence we see a genuine expression of the denial of the voice of the people with genuine grievances? I don’t have the solution, but it does cause great concern to see our hard won democracy being undermined. Philip Bam Grassy Park