In an effort to simulate an Israeli checkpoint on the borders between Israeli and Palestinian territories, members of Students for Free Palestine (SFP) blocked the entrances to the Campus Center yesterday during lunch. This caused quite a stir, creating annoyance among some students. Because this in-your-face tactic interrupted students’ daily routines, it forced many to think about the situation that Palestinians face in the Middle East.
In that sense, the protest can be considered a success. However, the long-term accomplishments of this protest are questionable. A week, a month, or a year from now, will students remember the lesson of the protest, or simply the irritation they felt by being interrupted from their normal routine? Will they remember this protest at all?
The particular style of the protest runs the risk of oversimplifying a complex and explosive issue. While it was clear that the demonstration highlighted the taxing effect on individual freedom and the civil rights of those forced to deal with such checkpoints, probably an equal number of students and adults could argue that checkpoints cut down on terrorism, and are therefore legitimate. The demonstration, though clearly one-sided, veers dangerously into polarizing an issue into black and white that is decidedly a shade of gray.
In such cases, the burden of truth falls on the backs of students. It seems obvious that the point of a protest is to convince others that they should agree with you—for this reason, once students are made aware of an issue such as this one, it is up to them to investigate the subject further. Good protests are sparks for knowledge; even if you were angered by the demonstration, which many probably were, the most constructive action to take would be to learn more about the motivations for such actions.
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