Ancient student uprisings are not just part of Western history. During the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, there was an uprising against the king for persecuting scholars in 1519 in the so-called Kimyo purge, or the Third Literati Purge. In the 1900s, revolts against political tyranny were used by students to legitimise struggles from China to Peru. In Eastern Europe, some of these students turned to militant and terrorist actions, in part due to the suppression of student political organisations, but also due to the myths glorifying extremist student radicals. A member of a radical Bosnian student group even struck the match that ignited World War I.
In the 1960s and onward, South Africa had its own political protests with students expressing dissatisfaction in black universities against celebrations such as graduations glorifying the achievements of apartheid universities. The apartheid era in South Africa was politically charged, and student activism reflected this in the forms of protests on both political sides, even though student movements where generally regarded as leftist. Protests were not just limited to national political issues. In the Western Cape, “disruption squads” coerced the masses to boycott classes. At the Indian University of Durban Westville, Indian and African students clashed in ethnic conflicts.
At UP and universities around South Africa, the spirit of student activism is alive and well, as has been seen this past year. We’ve had protests from both sides of the Israeli-Palestine conflict, as well as calls for the decolonisation of universities and shows of support for victims of terrorist acts at other universities.
Students at UP, however, are divided in their opinions of student protests. Second-year BSc student Shannon Swart said, “I think there are many other effective ways to solve problems, rather than protesting. I think that we as students are taught to solve everyday problems in the work environment and these problems solving skills can be employed to other issues as well, rather than protesting.” In contrast, Lize-Mari Du Toit, a third-year BA Anthropology student, said, “Student activism is very good. It shows that students are willing to stand up for what they believe in. Students are not apathetic.” Charleton Abrahams, a second year BA Languages student, added, “For students from different races, ethnicities and backgrounds to be able to stand together without fear of prosecution and harassment in order to fight for a cause that affects them or other students is quite a testament to the spirit of South Africans and the Constitution, as well as how far we’ve come as a nation.”
Student activism has played an important role in developing our society and will play an important role in the future. Being at university is a privilege that should be used responsibly not only to affect change, but to also obtain a tertiary degree and to become a learned member of society.
