Lurking threat of chaos
When government buildings and services are being held hostage, and main thoroughfares in the center of the capital are blocked day after day by protesters strangling commercial and residential activity in the heart of the city, we know we have reached a point where this kind of violence – and violence it is – can no longer be tolerated. However just the claims of the protesting groups may be, a self-respecting country needs to draw the line somewhere, especially when such forms of protest begin to impinge on the nation’s greater good and its long-term interests. The danger of allowing the situation to spiral out of control is obvious. The more the government fails to react, the more such instances of blatant disregard for the smooth operation of the country we will see, and the sooner the country will be plunged into a state of chaos. The prudent use of force by the police in order to contain a potentially dangerous situation is one thing; the idea that anything goes when engaging in protests is quite another.
