Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

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October 4, 2022
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Focus on dissent alone squanders opportunity for lasting change

2016-11-10_Trump_Protest_Zoe
Zoe Fu

On election night, many people across the nation found themselves speechless as their worst nightmare came to fruition. In the aftermath, these same people found their voices again. Protests sprang up across the country, and raged on for days after until they, along with the headlines the protesters had generated, disappeared. Now, on the eve of the inauguration of our new president, millions across America are gearing up yet again for protests against the new administration, but their efforts will be for nothing if they don’t work for change past Inauguration Day.

One such protest is scheduled to occur at UT this Friday. The J20 UT Walkout, one of many such walkouts that’s set to occur at universities across the nation with the intention of joining larger protests within cities, aims to be a demonstration of student-wide dissent for the incoming president.

According to a public Facebook post by the event creators, the J20 UT Walkout aims to “congregate outside the University Tower to inaugurate resistance to the incoming Trump administration.” The protesters plan to meet up and merge with other inauguration protests taking place later that day in Austin.


But while the purpose of the protest is to demonstrate public dissent with the incoming president and his administration, all protests of this nature will really accomplish is a cathartic release of pent-up emotions. There will be no lasting positive effect or change. As was shown previously with the protests that followed election day, where protesters reacted with horror at immediate events but ultimately fell back into their daily lives. Going forward, we can’t be so reactive every time Trump does something we don’t agree with, and then let that energy die out until his next act. 

Attempting to block the path for the inauguration parade won’t prevent Donald Trump from becoming president. Voicing your dissent for his policies with creative signs and slogans won’t change the nature of those policies. To truly effect change long past Inauguration Day, working from within is essential, and far more effective than merely protesting. Volunteering for political organizations, getting involved in local politics, and donating time and money to campaigns and candidates you believe in are all viable ways to contribute to a lasting fight back against a possibly oppressive administration.

Protesters should want to gain more than catharsis from their actions. In order to make a lasting difference in the wake of a new administration, protesters must look past Inauguration Day and get involved in local politics to cultivate a lasting voice against the new administration.

Berdanier is a philosophy junior from Boulder, Colorado. She is a senior columnist. Follow her on Twitter @eberdanier.

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Focus on dissent alone squanders opportunity for lasting change