Civil unrest is a term with broad implications It describes a situation in which a group of people disagree with their government or their society and express their discontent in disruptive and often violent ways. Such unrest may manifest itself in a variety of forms, including public protest, civil disobedience, and riots. It can be caused by a variety of issues, ranging from political and economic to social and environmental.
In its simplest form, civil unrest is a disagreement between a group of people and their government or society that escalates to a point where disruption or violence occurs. It can take the form of civil disobedience or public protest and is often the result of a perceived injustice or a call for change. It may be the result of a single incident or an accumulation of problems that have gone unaddressed.
Civil unrest does not necessarily mean a revolution or war; it is possible for a society to experience civil unrest without transitioning into a new period of governance or political order. Instead, civil unrest is typically a means for people to express their dissatisfaction and to push for change without resorting to full-scale revolution or war.
The following five examples of civil unrest illustrate how public protests and other forms of dissent can bring about changes in society and government policy:
1. March on Washington: This historic march, held in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963, is widely regarded as a turning point in the civil rights movement, as hundreds of thousands of people marched in support of civil and economic rights for African Americans. The march led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
2. Tiananmen Square Protests: In 1989, a series of peaceful protests were held in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in support of greater democracy and civil liberties. The protests were violently suppressed and remain a point of contention between China and the international community.
3. Stonewall Riots: In June 1969, a series of demonstrations in New York City protesting the police raids of a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn were the catalyst for the modern LGBT rights movement. The demonstrations were among the first organized public protests against LGBT discrimination.
4. Arab Spring: Starting in December 2010, a series of popular uprisings and civil wars in the Middle East and North Africa led to the downfall of several authoritarian governments and the rise of more democratic and pluralistic systems of governance.
5. Hong Kong Protests: In 2019, protesters in Hong Kong took to the streets to oppose a proposed extradition law that would allow China to extradite people from Hong Kong to mainland China. The bill was eventually withdrawn, but the protests continued and focused on a variety of issues including police brutality and political reform.