Are marches a waste of time?

Jessica Vine asks if protest marches actually make an impact on world events.

Protesters carried placards denouncing Bush and Blair, and demanded that they ‘make tea not war’. Then there is the unflattering image of the protest-junkie, someone similar to Carole on Big Brother, who will join any march around as long as it flatters his/her rebellious streak. Being one of the many who marched on that cold Saturday afternoon I was struck by the vibrant atmosphere and the sensation that ‘the people’ actually held some power.

On 15 February 2003 an estimated two million people crowded onto the streets of central London to protest against the impending US-led invasion of Iraq. Protesters carried placards denouncing Bush and Blair, and demanded that they ‘make tea not war’. Being one of the many who marched on that cold Saturday afternoon I was struck by the vibrant atmosphere and the sensation that ‘the people’ actually held some power. But did we really?

At the time I remember thinking that the protest could really have an impact, and that perhaps we would even manage to change the opinion of the government. Of course this was not the case, and looking back I often feel angry that the message of this march was completely ignored. It makes you wonder - is there any point in marching at all when even the biggest protest in our recent history is so readily forgotten?

As for the smaller, more local marches, such as the group of 20 or 30 people who lined the streets of Canterbury recently in demonstration against NHS job-cuts; what can such a small bunch of protesters actually achieve? Then there is the unflattering image of the protest-junkie, someone similar to Carole on Big Brother, who will join any march around as long as it flatters his/her rebellious streak and provide the perfect occasion for sporting that Che Guevara t-shirt. Is it all just an exercise in vanity or is there actually a point behind these protest marches?

Personally, there are many protests that I admire, many whose ethos I would oppose, and then again there are many which would not interest me at all. Yet I would strongly defend the right for all of these demonstrations to take place, no matter how trivial or disagreeable the issue is to me.

Peaceful protest and freedom of speech are fundamental aspects of our human rights that should be upheld as much as possible. In hindsight, I can see that it would be worrying if mass marches did completely dictate the policy of governments, as no matter how large its size a protest can never be fully representative of the opinions of an entire population.

Nevertheless, it is vital that we do continue to protest, even on the most trivial of issues. Otherwise we might one day wake-up to find that this essential right has been denied us, and that we no longer have a voice. Even if many protests do not have the immediate impact that we desire, at the very least, we have had our say and a bit of fun as well.