When an alercation between the unarmed teenager Mike Brown and Officer Darren Wilson arose in Ferguson, MS in August of 2014, the aftermath spurred worldwide responses. Sides supporting Borwn and Wilson respectively became increasingly fueding both in Ferguson and over media, while spectators were left to grasp at any information hastily being thrown at them from conflicting news sites and social media platforms. Had the situation been contained within the community, it's all speculative, but the rioting that occured may have been avoided. Both sides felt the need to prove something to the world, no matter how violent they felt the need to be. Tensions were far too high for a small town to contain, and it all could have been avoided if both sides were willing to admit fault and come together to systematicall change the civil rights issues that befell. S.W.A.T. teams were called in to deal with a rioting force with excessive measures. The pressure their pressence put on the crawds just made them feel more vulnerable and volitile.

Months after the riots in Ferguson, another name started getting spread like wildfire. Eric Garner was choked out on a city street corner in broad daylight, with evidence of the entire event being captured on body cameras and cell phone cameras caught by spectators. As this story made worldwide news, more protesting began in major cities. Although the protests in NYC were rather tastefully pulled off, the same could not be said for activists in Berkely, California. Their protest turned violent when a small group started smashing windows and assualting police officers. This was only more incsentive for the police to use excessive force and escalate the sitution well past the issues that had brought them all togther in the first place. Soon, these riots became the center of media attention, detracting from the issues as hand.

Some places around the world, regretably, feel like violence is still the answer to their problems. Now people living in places like South Africa may have some more claim to that argument than others. Dealing with an apathetic government can be frustrating by any means, but when there is widespread poverty and harsher-than-expected winter weather, as well as socio-economic contraints, the people are starting to feel like violence is the only way to get attention any more. The issue is that the people oppresed in South Africa could genuinely use help improving their quality of life, but the press overseas is reporting things like "Well yeah it's bad over there, but it's not surprising" as if to diminish the problems systemically affecting the region. Violence may be a menthod of getting attention, but at this cost, it is arguably not worth it.

A unique case for our generation to expirience, was the congrgation in Hong Kong, where thousands of Chinese citizens gathered to express their demands for a democratic state. The protest was nic-named after the umbrellas that became the signature for the movement. Although the protest remained relatively peaceful, police thought it necessary to make several arrests for occupying city streets and highways. Sometimes, peace comes at a price, but unlike the riots in America, the press awarded to this movement was overwhelmingly positive. The largest and possibly most unappreciated benefit to peaceful protesting is the way the sotry is represented in mainstream news. Someone will always criticize an event, but the less bad press you generate, the less press circuits have to mud sling with.

Recent Cases of Civil Unrest