It was the greyest day Cambridge had seen in a while, but this was no deterrence for the cluster of 40 raincoat-clad protesters huddled around a black banner plastered with the words, “THIS CONCERNS EVERYONE” on King’s Parade on Monday afternoon. Their fervent shouts of “Hey hey ho ho Donald Trump has got to go!”, among others, were a stirring contrast to the gloomy rain all around them.

In a political year characterised by hatred, which has challenged expectations of human decency, we need to continue asking ourselves: what else can we do to spotlight the people who are against it, to remind others that these attitudes are not the norm? It is now more important than ever to stop condemning public displays of solidarity for reasons other than what they stand for. Yet there continues to exist a stigma around student protests: many hold the opinion that they are naive and self-validating.

It’s one thing to say we are naive, however, but another to say we don’t want to do anything to change that. The former claim has some credibility – there is a limit to how much we can know with our 18-to-20-plus years. But the latter does not. Student protests should be thought of as stepping stones to the understanding we are criticised for not having.
And then people complain about the indulgent self-satisfaction we supposedly get from public protests. But to believe that equality is right and to actively seek it is naturally a source of pride.

Appeasement will lead us down a very dark road

The messages of love at the Sidgwick Site last week and the walkout on Monday were part of a growing number of demonstrations happening around the UK. There are people who feel they have to be ‘a good Muslim’, ‘a good woman’, a ‘good’ anything; who have dealt with discrimination for so long they don’t know what it is to live without it; who have now been sent a message that it isn’t about to stop. These people may see our acts and be moved in ways that we cannot imagine.

Those who find themselves with this judgement, make an effort to abandon it. Those who are afraid of it, know that you have no reason to be, and keep fighting the good fight. The rain didn’t stop you; don’t let anything else either