Some believe that the pandemic in itself is a struggle we all are facing, alongside people with concerns over injustice and protection for their rights took to protest with all efforts possible. 2021 has witnessed massive protest that made history.
Here's a list of major protests that made headlines around the world this year:
Farmer protest, India
AFP Photo
Making it a history win and adding to the noteworthy list of protests that lasted over a year, farmers from various parts of India took to fight for their concerns.
The protests began in August 2020 in rural parts of Punjab and only to conclude on December 11, 2021, after the black farm laws were announced of repeal by the Narendra Modi government.
Nude protest, Israel
This October, Hundreds of entirely naked people, all covered in white paint, were seen standing together near the Dead Sea in Southern Israel. It seemed a never-seen-before display, aimed at alarming the appearance of sinkholes.
Photographer Spencer Tunick told Times of Israel, “The Dead Sea is disappearing." Asserting that "water is life", he said that people needed to find a way to sustain the level or to bring freshwater into the Dead Sea, but at the same time, keep all countries surrounding with water.
AFP
Laughter protest, India
Too done with the condition of a 200-metre-long road in Bhopal, locals got together for a "laughter protest" to draw the attention of the authorities. The protest was held yesterday on November 21.
Speaking to ANI, a local resident, Uma Shankar Tiwari, said, "We are staging a 'laughter protest'. We are laughing because the government is unable to repair the road." He added, "A road has not been constructed in last two years although ₹ 3 crore was sanctioned. Some work was done when we protested but it was stopped later."
Protest over delayed NEET PG 2021 counselling
Several doctors, associations and NEET students took to protest on the issue of delayed or unnanounced dates for PG Counselling. Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) called for a complete withdrawal from all healthcare services across the country from 8 am on December 29 “in protest against brute force by Delhi Police against doctors. It is an ongoing protest, awaiting addressal of demands.
US Capitol protest, Washington, D.C
File
On January 6, 2021, a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The protestors walked across the halls freely and entered the offices of lawmakers.
Videos from the riot showing people creating ruckus to forcefully enter rooms and offices in the Capitol surfaced on media and social networking sites.
According to reports, on 22 November, US District Judge Royce Lamberth sentenced Capitol rioter Frank Scavo to 60 days in prison, one of the strictest sentences handed down to a misdemeanor defendant and more than four times the prosecutor’s recommendation of two weeks.
MSRTC Bus protest, India
File
The strike started on October 28 and intensified from November 9, paralyzing the state-run bus service. The employees went on their merger demand of the cash-strapped corporation with the Maharashtra government for better salaries and other resultant benefits.
In late Decemeber, one of the unions in stir-hit Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation on Monday said it was withdrawing from the staffers' strike after receiving a written assurance on demands from state transport minister Anil Parab.
The Bombay High Court on December 23 said that while the death of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees is always painful, there cannot be indefinite mourning or strike, as the end result is non-plying of buses, which is the most convenient and reasonable mode of transport for a large number of people. Allowing MSRTC’s counsel to file an additional affidavit, the court sought compliance of its directives by January 5, 2022.
