Question

Do you believe that the protesters are purposefully inciting a riot, or are they protesting peacefully? Do you see any possible third options to explain student behavior during these events?

Answer 1

The violence that has been happening amidst the protest is not purposeful. In fact, most of the protestors that are actually there for the cause would argue that any kind of violence only decreases the substance of protest. Therefore, violence or incitement of riots in any manner is a strict no for anyone who is there to protest. However, it is also true that there are some individuals or people amongst the protest that feel that the only way to get attention would be to engage in violent measures and that should not be the case.

Also, the psychological concept of 'deindividuation' would be of help to explain some of the behavior that we have witnessed. It is a concept that explains the loss of self awareness among people when they are present in groups. The identity of the group overrides the identity of the individual in these cases and he or she may go on to commit violent acts which were otherwise against the belief system of the individual.

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