Muhlenberg Alumni, Activism and Protests

A current debate in the Activist sphere is the merits of direct action, in the form of violence and law breaking, as opposed to “following the rules” and working with systems of change. Both ideas have the same endgame which is to change something about society. However, advocates on both ends have different viewpoints on how to do it.

This was touched upon in part during the Muhlenberg Alumni Activism Panel. This panel was composed of three Alumnus, who currently worked as activists in different fields. These Alumnus were Adrian an LGBTQ activist, Kelly a Gender activist, and Alex an Eco and Labor activist.

In their opening statements both Adrian and Alex addressed legality and their actions in confronting change. Adrian works with established laws and procedures to act as an instrument of change by changing workplace procedures and raising money for awareness. However, Alex sometimes works outside of the law with protests and radical demonstrations.

The argument for legal means can be exampled through LGBTQ rights, as by going through mostly legal channels, gay marriage has become legal in numerous American States. Also, Adrian presented his accomplishment in getting PPL to revise their work code to be inclusive of LGBTQ needs.

Alex claims that “When you seize a mode of capital, as a tactic you can make change.” Direct “illegal” action although notable and present, has not been as successful in modern America. Although, the events in Ferguson as they play out will either support or counteract this claim.  However outside of the U.S. it is evidenced in the anti-fracking protests of Poland and Romania in which Chevron has been forced to withdraw activities after severe disruptions.¹

While this conclusion is not definitive, it can be assumed that although direct action is not the best option for immediate change in America, it is great at raising awareness of a problem and getting it addressed. Legal methods have proven more successful at creating change, however they are often quiet and less known to the public.

1.       1. Anti-fracking clashes in Romania as activists break into Chevron site (PHOTOS, VIDEO)." - RT News. http://rt.com/news/chevron-fracking-protest-clashes-884/ (accessed September 18, 2014).