On Tuesday, Dec. 1, students from the Organization of Latin American Affairs staged a protest on O’Neill Plaza in which they carried signs citing immigration statistics and promoting a pro-immigration message.
The protest was staged in response to a recent snapchat added to the BC Snapchat story that captured an American flag and Donald Trump campaign slogan “Let’s make America great again,” with the caption, “Our wall trumps all walls.” It was also an attempt to deal with ideas being presented nationally, and in the presidential race, that OLAA sees as misconceptions and unfair portrayals.
The protesters arranged themselves in the grass alongside the O’Neill Plaza path, not blocking people’s ways and presenting themselves for large groups of passing students and faculty to see. By creating a “human link” and presenting interesting and informative statistics, they gained considerable attention. The protesters asked people if they wanted to hear what they had to say and garnered attention through their creative arrangement. People joined the chain throughout the protest, to the point that the group ran out of signs to give out.
This method of protest is effective and promotes positive discussion. Instead of angering people and causing frustrated resentment, they were able to have their message heard by many and prompted discussion among those interested.
It is clear from the amount of positive attention and interest the protest gathered that OLAA’s protest tactics worked very well. With their goal being increased dialogue about Trump and immigration as a larger issue, the protesters were remarkably successful. Groups interested in effecting change and creating discussion would do well to observe the creative and well-presented way in which OLAA staged this protest.
Featured Image by Alexandra Allam / Heights Editor
