Violent Protest Flashcards
Terror vs violent protests
Some terrorist attacks are specifically targeted – for example anti-abortionists bombing family planning clinics. These are designed to spread terror only within a certain group of people. We might refer to these attacks as ‘violent protest’, although most would consider them acts of terror.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian pastor who was part of a group attempting to assassinate Hitler by planting a bomb. Bonhoeffer said ‘ Any failure to act is simply to condone evil’.
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King fought against injustice as a pacifist. He used Jesus’ teaching to ‘turn the other cheek’. This meant that he was still prepared to fight, but by using non-violent marches, speeches, and civil disobedience. He said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Thich Nhat Hahn
Thich Nhat Hahn became a Buddhist monk at the age of 16. During the Vietnam War he helped villagers who had been bombed out of their homes. He opposed the Government’s policies and was eventually exiled from Vietnam and settled in France. He is a pioneer of engaged Buddhism which argues that if Buddhists are to achieve true inner peace they must work on changing the structures of society that influence people’s mental states and behaviour. He combines traditional meditation with non-violent protest, emphasising how meditation can help dissolve anger. On one occasion he was organising the rescue of hundreds of Vietnamese refugees using boats from Singapore. When the police found out his plan they ordered him out of the country and would not let the boats leave. He said ‘what could we do ? We had to breathe deeply and consciously. Otherwise we might panic, or fight with the police, or do something to express our anger.’
