Steven Berkowitz’s Post

The 'protests' occurring at the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition has been an interesting watch indeed. We all agree that protesting is a natural, human right - it's actually vital for the human condition. There is an old saying in terms of human development... "There is no union without antagonism". To build muscle, you have to tear it first. But what has been witnessed at the conference is not protesting in its purest and best form... by any stretch. Social injuries occur, not muscle development, by such actions. Research is unequivocal in that the more extreme displays there are from individuals, left or right wing, the more they actually depart from their stated intent or purpose. Or, in other words, what's actually driving these individuals is not a case of 'anti-war', 'pro-Palestine' or 'pro-environment', but more to an issue of what psychologists call 'sensation seeking'. For others it's a case of just not being happy with their station in life, helping to combat low self-esteem or negative self-awareness. Behind the scenes it becomes more telling for these individuals as they've unlikely engaged in any discourse on their stated 'passions' i.e. NGO volunteering, and for some they engage in polar opposite behaviours in private. This small, band on violent protestors (most were non-violent and should be congratulated) should take a leaf out of the most effective, impactful and respected protestors in the history of human development - Dr. Martin Luther King. In a similar example to what's currently occurring in Melbourne, in 1963 King organised peaceful sit-ins in Birmingham, Alabama to protest against that states segregation laws. The protests drew nationwide attention when televised footage showed Birmingham police deploying pressurised water jets and police dogs against the peaceful demonstrators. The campaign was ultimately successful, forcing the infamous Birmingham police chief Bull Connor to resign and the city to desegregate public spaces. Other peaceful protests resulted in laws being changed by President Lyndon Johnson with equal rights being extended to all US citizens. If you're protesting #violence based systems (as they suggest), #peace is the best method. Let the others debase themselves to the world as you carry on. Research also shows that, as a result of such actions and images, people who have previously not participated in it become sympathetic to the cause, becoming emboldened to participate, even changing the perspectives of former opponents to be more sympathetic to the movement. #protesting #peace https://lnkd.in/gkarhbrS

Protest is supposed to be uncomfortable Protest is about making us uncomfortable. And we need to remember that comfort isn’t good. We can like comfort, sure. Look for comfort. Try to comfort others. But it isn’t an inherent good. Comfort famously leads to lazy thinking and biased behavior. It can be the source of injustice as we maintain bad decisions. It leads to avoiding good things, preserving bad things, engaging in familiar habits, and refraining from growth. Treating comfort as an inherent good is one of our most common and disastrous practices. Protests make us uncomfortable. So when we treat comfort as good and worthy of protection, protests become “bad” and something to be fought. This isn’t an intellectual thing. Look at how we treat protests in the United States. Peaceful protests are treated as dangerous. Even when there is no threat of violence, they are treated like a threat of violence to the status quo. And the public safety response is often to create violence. To wage violence against the protestors. As we saw in Austin this week. The imbalance is palpable. But it isn’t sensible. The level of physically violent response to protest far exceeds the physical threat of any protest. This only makes sense when we consider the very concept of protest itself as threatening. And the violence inherently necessary to protect the people from change. Why do we indulge this wildly over-protective posture toward a sense of comfort? There is really only one answer. It is about authority. Protest disrupts more than a vague sense of comfort. It challenges our sense of authority and exposes the imbalance in our entire structure of government. When hundreds of people gather, then become thousands, growing toward millions, we see something far closer to the spirit of democracy than we feel in our representative government. And when a president of a university invites the National Guard onto campus armed for war, to ostensibly restore “comfort” by force, we see centralized authority. These attempts at “restoring order” are really about our discomfort with authority. And we hope that some soldiers can quite literally beat down the protest and make things “normal.” To restore our comfort. But this is impossible. We are replacing their comfort with ours. Literally beating and arresting protestors doesn’t create comfort for them. Nor does it actually restore it in the population. When people stoke fear of protests, that fear increases with the violence—as violence begets more violence—and more directly, doesn’t beget comfort! This is even more disturbing when the protest is about reducing the suffering of others. These students are protesting the genocide of a people. And the state’s response? To beat them. Focusing on comfort is a lie. It doesn’t stop the protests from happening, justify violence against protestors, or prevent us from being judged for allowing state-sanctioned violence against others. In is complete psycholo...

How to Stage the Perfect Protest The brutal clampdown on the EndSARS protest and the massacre that ensued at the Lekki toll gate in October 2020, as well as the government's recent extraordinary measures to stifle dissent, including orchestrating false bomb threats and issuing foreboding warnings to deter today's planned protest, underscore the urgency of this discussion. How do you stage a protest that works? 1. Give it a face Protests are more effective when recognized groups or faces champion them. Just as Martin Luther King Jr. personified the Civil Rights Movement and Mahatma Gandhi embodied India's quest for independence, every protest needs a charismatic and respected "forefronter" to give it a human face and avoid disorganization. 2. Give it a Name It is okay to be creative about this, but you also want to make the motive irrefutable and unmistakable. The name of your protest should echo through history. 3. Pick the Perfect Day to Begin Timing can be everything so you want to choose a date linked with historical significance to add weight to your cause. Imagine staging your Protest on October 20 or June 12. 4. Choose the Perfect Venues to Stage It This is the most important part of every protest - location. The venues for your protest must be chosen with well-thought-out precision because in as much as you want to be strategic about the venues you choose, you also don't want to disrupt everyday life. Remember the goal is to get the people on your side and not make their lives miserable. 5. Issue a Disclaimer Ahead The perfect protest must remain unsullied by the actions of opportunistic elements seeking to hijack it for nefarious purposes. So you want to issue a clear disclaimer ahead, dissociating your cause from such elements. 6. Deliver the Perfect Speech on the Opening Day A protest speech is not an avenue to settle scores or personal vendetta. You want to do away with all forms of verbal abuse targeting specific individuals, otherwise, it becomes hate speech and would no longer hold water. 7. Don't Back Down Until your demands are fully met, do not throw in the towel - resolve is the bedrock of any successful protest. Reject half-measures, symbolic gestures that fall short of meaningful investitures. The government might put up extreme resistance, but you should draw inspiration from the Aba Women Riot of 1929 and the Iva Valley Shooting of 1949 and stay true to the course then your steadfastness in the face of adversity will galvanize your supporters and pressure those in power to concede to your demands. PS: This is a strategy for persons whose brand goal is to stage the perfect protest or become an Inspirational leader. And I write this as a Brand Strategist, and Copywriter, who helps you win. Please kindly take note. Read the detailed article on medium, where I cited historical references below: https://lnkd.in/d5wA_jDd Cheers. #Brandstrategy #Politics #Leadership #History #Business #Writing #Strategy

As you all contemplate be on participating in tomorrow's protest, I urge you to consider the potential risks and downsides associated with such events, particularly the possibility of the protest being hijacked by those with ulterior motives. Here are some important points to reflect on: 1. Potential for Violence: While many protests start with peaceful intentions, they can quickly escalate into violence, especially if hijacked by hoodlums or those seeking to exploit the situation for their own gain. This not only puts you at risk but can also lead to a breakdown of order and further conflict. 2. Hijacking by Opportunists: Protests can attract individuals or groups who have no genuine interest in the cause but see it as an opportunity for vandalism, looting, or inciting chaos. These elements can undermine the original intent of the protest, tarnishing its message and effectiveness. 3. Legal and Safety Risks: In the heat of a protest, it’s easy for things to spiral out of control. Law enforcement may respond with force to maintain order, which can lead to mass arrests, injuries, or worse. Being caught in such a scenario can have serious legal and personal consequences. 4. Damage to Public Perception: When protests are hijacked by disruptive elements, the public perception can shift negatively. Instead of focusing on the legitimate grievances and demands, the media and public may zero in on the chaos, violence, and destruction, overshadowing the original cause. 5. Impact on the Community: The aftermath of a protest gone wrong can leave a community deeply affected. Property damage, disruption to daily life, and a general sense of insecurity can have long-term negative effects, harming the very people the protest might aim to support. 6. Strain on Resources: Violent protests can strain local resources, from law enforcement to medical facilities. This diversion of resources might impact other critical services, leaving the community worse off in the immediate aftermath. 7. Alternative Ways to Engage: Consider other ways to make your voice heard and effect change that do not carry the same risks. Engaging in dialogue, lobbying, using social media platforms, and other forms of peaceful advocacy can often be more effective and safer. 8. Maintaining Integrity: By avoiding potentially dangerous situations, you help maintain the integrity and focus of the movement. Ensuring that the message remains clear and undiluted by chaos or negative incidents is crucial for long-term success. In light of these considerations, think carefully about whether participating in the protest is the best way to support the cause. There are many ways to advocate for change that do not carry the same level of risk and potential for negative outcomes. Stay informed, stay safe, and consider how you can best contribute to positive, lasting change. STAY SAFE 🙏 #Protest

Sites of Protest “I rebel, therefore we exist.” — Albert Camus One way to sustain ourselves in these absurd times, we wrote last week, is to follow in the footsteps of Albert Camus and rebel. As student protests for Gaza vanish from the news cycle, it is worth reflecting on their wider impact and meaning. While horrors continue, they are neither failed nor fickle, but part of a deeper practice. History is full of examples of student protest movements that stood up to power, usually against wars, colonialism and racist policies, and when widespread, were always on the right side of justice. But only with hindsight, of course. Students protesting today have been met with disdain and  increasing violence, the world over. And in countries that pride themselves on being democratic and free, brutal crackdowns are often followed by prison sentences, the denial of degrees and sweeping new legislation to punish further activism and even deportation for non-nationals. The irony of course is that those leading the protests today may well one day be celebrated by those same governments as heroic and brave, maybe they’ll get a plaque or a street named after them. And when protests are repressed in other countries, those deemed to be undemocratic, they are celebrated by those same leaders who send riot police on our young people. In his 1968 essay, The Nature of Mass Demonstrations, John Berger wrote that while protests might in theory be an appeal to the democratic conscience of the State, we should not presuppose such a conscience exists. This is very unlikely, he said. For those on the frontlines, it can be hard to keep the momentum and it’s easy to feel disheartened by the swift actions of our increasingly militarised police. However, every protest is a problem for a sitting government. It’s a reminder that people do not approve. It’s a reminder that people care about people elsewhere. It is how we connect with those who came before us, and those who will come after us. And no matter how many policies or laws are being pushed through, you cannot outlaw solidarity. You can try, but it would be like trying to outlaw love. The true function of demonstrations, Berger said, is not to convince the existing State authority, “[t]he truth is that mass demonstrations are rehearsals for revolution: not strategic or even tactical ones, but rehearsals of revolutionary awareness.” Illustration Miriam Sugranyes

END BAD GOVERNANCE PROTEST Dear Fellow Nigerians, As it stands, amid the cries, hunger pangs, broken expectations, unexpected "renewed hope," and among all others, even the dead in the mortuary felt the icy breeze of agony. Though it may sound sentimentally intrinsic, I think any rational citizen—who isn't even necessary labelled as "patriotic"—would fight back. Apparently, enough is enough. As we always have—we have a propensity to push the bounds of our endurance, even while the nation has declined beyond recognition. The average man's cost of living has soared, and I highly doubt that he could eat twice a day. And we were still grinning, beautifully. However, if we all decide to persevere and raise our voices together, we appropriately turned to writing our words on billboards, placards, cardboard, and posters. It wouldn't have been sufficient, I assure you. As much as we would like to start the protest, though, I would like to take us down memory lane through the history of protest in Nigeria. Not even attempting to choke history at its throat—recent events are sufficient to shed light on this. Even occasionally, some vagrants have taken advantage of this rally by destroying lives and property. These infrequent protests have always been interspersed with acts of violence. You may argue that some of these protests are moderately politicised, in which case I wouldn't be entirely incorrect. The fake motives have profited from the fact that the majority of these protests have always ended in rioting, disorder, and lawlessness. Even if the Nigerian constitution guarantees us the freedom to protest, voice our grievances, and cast our calls across the empathy spectrum. If we are going to protest, though, let's all abide by the same constitution's tenets to make sure the demonstration accurately reflects the wishes of the general public. I firmly believe that no patriotic citizen would have desired for this protest to turn into an insignificant accomplishment. We are capable of doing this. If we do it properly, we can absolutely show off our wounds to the world. The world will support us and move in unison towards the protest's goal. All things considered, we should constantly remember to pray for our beloved nation. Nigeria will regain its glory. Blessings from God to all of us. May the Federal Republic of Nigeria be blessed by God. Sincerely, Kamiludeen Hamsat Adekunle (CKK) kamiludeenhamsat04@gmail.com Photo credit: Pexels #endbadgovernance #nigeria #protest #protestnotriot

#Endbadgovernment day 2 The EndBadGovernance protest is a call for change and a demand for accountability from the go ✓Security Protest Management* The current efforts and preparations of the interior security agencies, led the Nigerian Police Force, have fallen short of established processes, procedures, and best practices. The Security Intelligence Review, as claimed by the IGP, has proven to be ineffective and inefficient. ✓Expected Mitigants* To manage protests effectively, the following mitigants should be employed as part of a risk management procedure: - Water canon - Rubber bullets - Use of megaphones to direct protesters - Adequate police presence to maintain order ✓*Challenges* However, the police have been outnumbered by protesters, and the protests have been hijacked by hoodlums, leading to: - Destruction of public utilities - Looting of stores - Civil disturbance ✓*Protesters' Perspectives* Protesters have focused their attacks on the federal government, while being complacent towards subnational governments, which are perceived as corrupt. Counter-protests sponsored by government proteges have also been used to politicize and disrupt the protests. ✓*Call to Action* The federal government and subnational governments must urgently develop short-term, middle-term, and long-term strategies to address the protesters' demands. Amnesty International has condemned the killing of 13 protesters in Borno, Kaduna, Kano, and Yobe, and a dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed in the northern region. Conclusion:_ Nigeria's security protest management approach is in need of urgent reform. The current approach has been ineffective and inefficient, leading to the escalation of protests and violence. A comprehensive reform of the security protest management approach is essential for maintaining public order and protecting human rights in Nigeria. _Recommendations:_ 1. Develop a national protest management policy that outlines the roles and responsibilities of security personnel and protesters. 2. Establish a protest management unit that is responsible for coordinating and managing protests. 3. Train security personnel on protest management and human rights. 4. Ensure that protesters are allowed to exercise their rights peacefully and that security personnel use force only when necessary. _Quotable Quotes:_ - "The current approach to security protest management in Nigeria is not working. It's time for a change." - Olawale Ismail - "Protesters have the right to exercise their rights peacefully. Security personnel must respect that right." - Emmanuel U. Oluku - "A comprehensive reform of the security protest management approach is essential for maintaining public order and protecting human rights in Nigeria." - Abubakar A. Sadiq

Liberty Victoria on Protest Rights The freedom to protest is fundamental to democracy. Protesters have the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly under the Victorian Charter of Human Rights, and are protected by the implied freedom of political communication under our Constitution. Liberty Victoria calls on the State Government and Victoria Police to ensure that Victorians are able to protest freely. We have seen shocking scenes of militarised police clashing with protesters in central Melbourne. Liberty Victoria denounces any and all violence used at the protest. Liberty Victoria is concerned by the use of what appears to be heavy-handed police tactics against protestors. We have warned about increasing police militarization for several years, including the use of rubber bullets, stun grenades and “kettling” during the COVID-19 protests. We note with deep concern the reports of protestors being inappropriately subject to OC spray and the use of other weapons. It is misleading to describe such weapons as “non lethal” – deploying these weapons is a use of force and can have fatal consequences. Past experience, including with regard to the policing of protest activity during the pandemic, has demonstrated that when all facts come to light there may well emerge a very different understanding of whether some police members acted appropriately and proportionately. We must be careful not to rush to judgment. In such circumstances, we are deeply troubled by comments by the Chief Commissioner of Police that people arrested at the protests are “criminals”. People who have been charged by police must be afforded the right to the presumption of innocence. Whether or not they are guilty of an offence is a matter for the independent umpire. Further, this language also demonises protestors. The description of protestors by the Police Association as “filthy, disgusting animals” is inflammatory, fundamentally dehumanising and may be used to seek to legitimate further violence. We remain concerned by the increasing restrictions on protest rights in Victoria – both by way of laws that prohibit protest and the gazetting of public spaces enabling searches of citizens without reasonable suspicion, a regime that the Government acknowledges is inconsistent with our human rights. The UN Human Rights Committee has said that freedom of opinion and freedom of expression are the foundation stone for every free and democratic society. We reaffirm our commitment to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

PROTESTERS CONDUCT IS ALWAYS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR PROTEST ORGANIZERS ANY DAY, ANYWHERE If you have ever been involved in organizing any protest, you know that controlling the conduct of those participating in the protest is an enormous task as protesting on the streets is not our way of expressing displeasure about any matter. Your best is to talk, talk and talk and wish the people comply. I still remember back in my University days. It was University of Lagos. We organized a protest against school fee increment and for payment deadline extension. It wasn't funny. I was shocked at what we have to do just for 1:15mins protest. Managing the conduct of protesters is a big job that needs studying. The management, command and control coordination we have to employ in 48 hours prior to our protest time was overwhelming. Life is for the strong really. After the protest and the outcome, I ask some of my classmates if this is what those who organize protest on larger scale go through? They said we were too careful, that out there, organiser are not this thorough. We had some very senior fellow who are members of the body to whom we were going to complain advice us. I mean in our case, it was to the university Senate and we have members of same guiding us on what to do to adequately communicate our point. Since then I made up my mind that any one I must participate in outside school must have that element of guidance else count me out. Now Endsars initially had same element, at lest the ones I surveyed. But after some time I think it was infiltrated by the opposite side. Maybe they stayed too long on the street, maybe the lack of coordination... Something went wrong as the protest went into couple of days. Interestingly the response from the government so far tells a lot about their knowledge of the organizer of the Aug 1st one. Probably they know something about the previous one organizer we don't know. When you know the tool you used in the past is at the disposal of your enemy is heartbreaking. Just be sincere with public responsibilities. You might just be seeing only from your side view of the subject matter. Apply only the UNIVERSAL RULES. The goal is to protest communicating your message well. Communicate it with no defusing inttendum. Protest without destruction of goods (destroying properties, stealing, harassment of indifferent individuals to your course... to mention a few) and services.