Haiti, Paris, Benin, Sudan, and Venezuela are among the many regions experiencing massive protests led by black and brown people. The United States has experienced similar protests but not to on the level of those around the world.
A government uprising consists of large groups of oppressed people revolting against the political rule, usually resulting in the loss of power from established officials and a rebirth of the political system. This is different from a protest which complies with the laws that dictate its operations.
The closest protest in the United States to this could be the Black Lives Matter protests that span across the nation or The Occupy Wall Street protests. Otherwise, the only government disruption was the government shutdown earlier this year, due to the House striking down Trump’s legislation for a border wall. This halt of government operations was still complicit in the laws of the country, allowing no new reform of the political system.
Here is what builds a government uprising and how have other countries have been able to succeed.
Stopping Dependence on Governmental Justice System To Correct Itself
Constituents in the United States are so certain the government has created laws that allow itself to be governed towards correcting itself. Yet, we have hardly seen that take place in U.S. history. Other countries know when their government fails to do things in the best interest of its people, they can no longer depend on the government to provide accountability for its actions and make the necessary changes.
For example, people in Paris have been rioting in its streets ever since rising gas taxes were enacted. Instead of taking the people’s concerns into consideration, French President has said the government would not back down and issue any reforms. Since the opposition from the French government, the Yellow Vests protestors have been rioting since late last year.
Working With Military or Political Figures Who Have An History With The Government Officials They Oppose
Trump’s resilience in the White House is backed by an entire justice system that seeks to protect its own officials from persecution. In Sudan, military leaders helped organize a coup to get the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir out of office. Although there are now disagreements between protestors and the military on who will take over, the oust was accomplished.
People Power Sustains Itself Of Fatigue From Poor Economic Conditions
Social movements tend to rise from disgruntled residents who have been fed up with the current government they are subjected to. These government officials act as dictators, holding onto their positions of power for extended periods of time, changing laws to benefit the wealthy elite, and ignoring the marginalized communities who look to them for change. Constituents rise up and use people power to turn their frustrations into demands for better living conditions. For example, Haiti has been revolting against its government, particularly for the ousting of its president Jovenel Moise, after it failed to make efforts towards economic reform and instead got itself caught in corruption with many government officials.
Black and brown people are often left out of receiving proper justice within the United States democracy and get criminalized and penalized for asking for more from its government. When they follow the laws that allow them to protest peacefully, black and brown people are met with police surveillance and are largely ignored for expressing concern with the way that the government proceeds. These government uprisings prove there is another way for people to rise above.
