{"id":6590,"date":"2010-11-18T10:01:45","date_gmt":"2010-11-18T15:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/UpbeaT\/?p=6590"},"modified":"2010-11-18T10:01:45","modified_gmt":"2010-11-18T15:01:45","slug":"did-someone-forget-to-tell-me-it-was-protest-wednesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2010\/11\/18\/did-someone-forget-to-tell-me-it-was-protest-wednesday\/","title":{"rendered":"Did someone forget to tell me it was protest Wednesday?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\nDid you happen to notice an inordinate number of demonstrations on campus last Wednesday? I passed by at least five in the span of an hour. Was this a mandated day of protest? I tried to find confirmation of this online but my search came up with nothing. Two protests really stood out for me, though they were vastly different.\n\nIn front of Hart House was a 24-hour reading of the names of Holocaust victims. The man sitting behind the table reading names into a microphone in a sombre tone was obviously committed to the cause. As I approached Hart House, my first thought was, \u201coh no, not another annoying protester with a microphone\u201d. But as I got closer to Hart House, I realized the man was reading names. The purpose of the demonstration dawned on me before I had a chance to read the sign. I stopped and listened for\u00a010 minutes or so before rushing away to my tutorial, affected by the reader\u2019s haunting voice and the names of victims still echoing in my head. <\/span>\n\nThe next demonstration I came upon was in front of Robarts. The first was a silent protest. Coupled with this protest was a very non-silent protest, which was protesting the silent protest. Are you confused? I was. At first I couldn\u2019t figure out why the silent protesters had an amplification system. Then I realized I was walking through not one but two simultaneous protests. Honestly, this just gave me a headache.\n\nThe woman\u2019s voice blasting over the speakers was ear piercingly loud and garish. I am in no way taking sides here, but I will say this. The quiet reading of Holocaust victims' names in front of Hart House had a large crowd quietly listening in unity to a sombre remembrance. In front of Robarts, pedestrians were practically running to get away from the super loud speakers and the blatant hostility. <\/span>\n\nThere are tons of student activist groups on campus - lots of opportunities to get involved in a cause you feel passionate about. Ulife\u2019s listing of recognized clubs<\/a> includes quiet and not-so-quiet organizations for nearly every religious and political viewpoint out there.\n\nWhen it comes to demonstrating on campus, according to Campus Police, demonstrations that occur on U of T property are under their jurisdiction and must comply with the regulations set forth by the Governing Council. The demonstrations that occur on campus but not on campus property, such as\u00a0sidewalks, fall under the jurisdiction of the City of Toronto Police. Ultimately, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms deems it legal to protest peacefully. \u201cPeace\u201d seems to be the key idea here. A protest on campus must be peaceful and must not physically harass anyone.\n\nThe notion of noise as a physical harassment is obviously ahead of its time. I can honestly say that my ears were being physically harassed as I walked through the demonstration in front of Robarts. Where\u2019s the justice for my ears?\n\nI find it interesting that what holds true to one thing, usually holds true to another. The tactic of yelling at someone to get a point across, rarely works. Whether in dealing with your children, parents, or pets, being loud and waving your arms around by and large has little effect.\n\nIt would be nice if loud campus protesters realized that being noisy does not an effective protest make. I would enjoy more quiet protests. I am non-confrontational by nature. The truth is loud protests just make me uncomfortable. From the reaction of my fellow students hurrying by the demonstration in front of Robarts, I don\u2019t think I\u2019m alone.\n\n-Lori","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\nDid you happen to notice an inordinate number of demonstrations on campus last Wednesday? I passed by at least five in the span of an hour. Was this a mandated day of protest? I tried to find confirmation of this…\n<\/div>
Continue reading “Did someone forget to tell me it was protest Wednesday?”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>
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