Over the past year there has been a variety of marches, rallies, and protests that have taken place in our country. Even here in Lincoln, there’s been an increase in public activism. There have been marches to support the LGBTQ community, women’s marches, protests against different political figures choices, and rallies against things like the Affordable Care Act and tax day. There are also the more recent marches that have occurred, such as those in Charlottesville and the counter protest and march in Boston. In some of these marches, there has been violence, and lives have been lost.

Turner Thompson, a junior at East, recently participated in a march to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. He said that the rally showed unity among the citizens, farmers, and the Native American communities here in Nebraska. Representatives from different reservations and people who have strong opinions about the issue were present at the protest.

Another East junior, Nicole Fintel, said that rallies and protest bring awareness to a cause, and she notes that they help to show that there is a substantial amount of people who care and want change when it comes to these issues. When discussing the influence of the protest and rallies, Fintel added, “They (rallies) should be more of the beginning of your action, not the end.”

Civil disobedience has been a method used in many large disagreements in our nation. Many of these acts have brought change and have said much of our people. Many think that through protesting and participating in the different rallies and marches, they can bring great change and have a substantial impact on their society.  Some also see it as a way to show unity and power in numbers. Thompson agrees, saying “Civil disobedience is built into the fabric of America, and it’s really important that if we have an ideological disagreement with something, it’s really important to have our voices heard and to stand up against it publicly.”