Social Justice Needs Effective leadership & a Cohesive Strategy, Not Violence!

The government is clearly worried and as such has decided to use violence in order to curb descent, as well as the right to protest.  Police action and excessive violence towards protesters; over the weekend was deplorable and needs to be condemned outright by all.

The events of Friday afternoon and Saturday evening are however, clear evidence that the public protest movement for social justice is in dire need of new leadership and new ideas.  I have said before that the  protest movement needs to grow up and now is the time.  The issues are too important and too much is at stake for the continuation of naïve, immature and ultimately ineffective strategies.

The answer is not vandalism and violent protest.  The destruction of property, whether it belongs to a bank or any other so-called “symbol” of capitalism and greed; is just as contemptible as the outrageous attacks on African businesses and black people, carried out in what can only be described as the race riots (pogroms) in  Tel Aviv neighbourhood a few weeks ago.

It would appear that the movement is running out of ideas and is frustrated by its inability to rekindle the passions aroused by last year’s protests.  The lack of tangible results following last year’s protests are frustrating for sure.  However, in addition to a hostile and determined administration, the lack of results arise from the absence of a cohesive strategy on the part of the protester, to turn the numbers on the streets into real change in society.

That the people want change and the government does not, is not a new phenomena and is certainly not unique to Israel.  Getting people onto the streets and shaking them out of their apathy is only the first stage of the fight for social justice and for sure the leaders of last year’s protests should be applauded for their achievements.

However, that same leadership failed to harness that energy and create a strategy which could indeed effect real change.  What we ended up with was a great summer of protest, debate and music, leading to wholly unrealistic expectations and very little else.  Let’s be honest, last year’s Facebook protest targeting the price of dairy products delivered far more in the way of tangible results and benefits to the consumer, with a lot less noise.

Violence is not a new idea.  it is not a fresh approach and will ultimately achieve nothing other than to alienate many of the middle class who joined last year’s protests.   Frustration runs high after the incredible events of last summer. At the end of the day however, it is just violence, no more, no less.  It will inevitably lead to more violence and I believe, to the end of the protest movement as a mass movement, where it reverts to a largely irrelevant fringe movement, comprising the “usual subjects”.

In order to avoid such a calamity, a pragmatic approach is needed by the movement in order to take the protests to the vital next stage.  Just as the establishment of a tent city in central Tel Aviv caught the authorities off guard and captured the imagination of the people and importantly the media, so today new and creative tactics and ideas are needed.

But, and this is a big but… in addition to passion and creativity,  it is imperative that the movement organise and develop a cohesive strategy in order to effectively challenge the status quo, in a manner which will leave the government with no option but to make the desperately required changes in key areas. 

Achieving this will require leaders who possess the maturity, vision and most importantly, can build an effective strategy, in addition to passion and ideals.  These leaders will also reject out of hand the all too easy option of violence, regardless of the underhand tactics of the authorities.