Desperation drives protests

The recent Tamil protests in Toronto have caused quite an uproar and flood of attention, both positive and negative, but are there methods effective?
When more than 2,000 Tamil demonstrators began taking over Toronto's Gardiner Expressway and protesting on University Ave., they were asking for one thing: support.
Their goal was not to win the hearts of politicians or spread joy throughout the streets of Toronto. Tamil protesters acknowledged the public anger they caused by their protests and the blockage of Toronto's Gardiner Expressway but said their actions won political results for their community.
They remained boisterous but peaceful, as they asked to be acknowledged and for the government to notice their cries for help and intervene in the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka.
Ghormy Theva, spokesman for the Coalition to Stop The War In Sri Lanka, said protesters are becoming “desperate” over the situation in Sri Lanka. About 200,000 Tamils live in the Greater Toronto area, and it is home to the largest Tamil community outside Sri Lanka. Every day these people must read and watch the news about their people being killed. More than 70,000 lives have been taken in what one commenter calls the ignorance of the world.
If this was happening to our people and yet the government did nothing, would we demand support?
A student at York University said she didn’t understand how Canada can’t see the importance of this cause. Protestor Genit Jeyakanthan, says Canada has taken leadership roles in situations like this before and they need to do it now. “They need to take action.”
These protests may have angered politicians and thousands of Torontonians, but the event received national coverage and informed people across Ontario the war in Sri Lanka and its severity. Their actions may not have been the best way to grab positive attention from the city, but it allowed for their voices to be heard, which is a start in the right direction.

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