![]() That’s encouraging to outsiders who were worried Trump would find a way to stay in power. What we’re seeing in America is a wounded democracy, but it appears democratic institutions have shielded the republic from the assault against it. The two most analogous events-triumphant protesters occupying Malacanang in 1986 and EDSA Tres in 2001 that tried to charge into Malacanang-occurred after incumbent presidents were forced to leave.īut all incidents, including what happened in the Capitol this week, are violent reactions to what had been, up to that point, peaceful transfers of power. It’s hard to compare with the Philippines. Howie Severino, Philippines, journalist who was arrested during the 1980’s EDSA People Power Revolution, a peaceful mass protest ousting dictator Ferdinand Marcos And there is perhaps nothing we can do to change it. It sounds so basic, but it isn't in my part of the world. To walk on the road, for instance, at our will, at any time. Incidents like getting a beating from the army are so normal it was only when I came to mainland India that I realized they’re not. This week, these people took over the Senate, but eventually they’ll take over every institution. And regardless of the locale, these supremacist groups ultimately lead to institutional decay. The inconsistency in how the state dealt with BLM protestors and how they’re dealing with these rioters now is shocking-they’re even being helped down the Capitol stairs in videos circulating online. But your situation also reminds me of India. I’ve lived in a region that’s “militarily occupied” and sees everyday violence, and I feel those effects whenever I’m home. today because the context is so different. It’s a little difficult to associate my experiences of political unrest with what’s happening in the U.S. Hanan Zaffar, Delhi, India, journalist who lived in Kashmir-the world’s most militarized zone-for 22 years Malaysia and Singapore were still recovering after colonial rule and the Japanese war, and naturally, tensions were high. It was a chaotic, unstable and very unsettling time to be living in. May Lum, Singapore, retired 84-year-old school teacher who fled her hometown of Malacca in Malaysia for neighboring Singapore in the late 1960s as racial tensions and violence escalated Young people in America are not alone in confronting the rise of authoritarian political actors and take strength in the knowledge that this is a generational struggle, internationally. More broadly, times of political uncertainty face young people across the world, and America is no exception to this. Yet this will not prevent such comparisons from taking place due to the shared tactic of the occupation of a legislature. By contrast, protesters in Taiwan and Hong Kong were calling for democratic freedoms, in terms of the right to have free and fair elections and accountability over government. The irony of the comparison between the Capitol Hill protests and events in Taiwan and Hong Kong is that protesters on Capitol Hill were seeking to overturn a democratically elected vote and oversight procedures intended to prevent a slide toward authoritarianism in government. We protesters have been called traitors and spies and all kinds of names, but I still believe that, no matter what, good will prevail in the end.īrian Hioe, 29, Taiwan, former Sunflower Movement activist and editor at New Bloom magazineĭuring the 2014 Sunflower Movement, Taiwanese students occupied the legislature to protest against a trade deal with China. That’s something we know very well in Lebanon. It’s sad how easily conspiracy theories can spread and how truth is always the first victim. Our elections are filled with fake votes and bribery the people in power are corrupted and divisive. Here in Lebanon, we still have a long way to go. Democracy is still prevailing despite all of Trump’s failed attempts to overturn the results of the election. You still have fair elections and laws that hold anyone accountable for their actions. That’s not the case here in Lebanon-you can easily end up in jail for insulting the president with a sarcastic tweet. I have to say that I totally believe that would have been the response from police if the rioters had been Black.īut despite its flaws, American citizens are still able to voice your opinions or even make fun of the president without going to prison. In Lebanon, if we tried to enter the parliament, we’d be shot in the eye. Meanwhile, Trump supporters were able to enter Capitol Hill to take selfies, sabotage offices, write on the desks of elected officials, and damage the entire place. I took part in the October protests, and while we were unarmed and peaceful, we were still met with violence from the police: gas bombs, rubber and live bullets.
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