One question, four answers

Kevin Snyman
‘In Jesus I discern when protest is right or wrong’

Protest seems far easier to criminalise than to support. I’ll list four examples.

One: from 31 October 2024, a law comes into force permitting ‘buffer zones’ to be set up around reproductive healthcare clinics in England and Wales. This is to protect women from being the targets of praying Christians protesting abortion. The law, in effect, bans Christians from exercising their right to protest near clinics. Do you support the law?…

Kevin Snyman is the URC’s Programme Officer for Global Justice and Partnerships

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Haanyah Aleezah Cassam
‘How can so much hate still exist?’

In the heart of summer, following the tragic loss of three beautiful girls’ lives, racists unleashed chaos on grieving communities, seeking to cause destruction. As tensions escalated, messages began circulating about potential riots planned in other areas, including my own. The news referred to them as ‘protesters’. I wondered why it was then that I viewed them as violence personified?…

Haanyah Aleezah Cassam is a student at Islamic Society of Britain’s Campus branch

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Jamie Henderson
‘Witnessing an injustice without acting is a burden’

We could spend a whole magazine discussing the definition of protest, let alone whether it is ever wrong. To engage in an activity designed to instigate change, you have to accept that there is no perfect action, and some people will disagree with you….

Jamie Henderson is a charity worker and campaigner

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Nathan Eddy
‘It’s about putting ourselves in other people’s shoes’

In November last year, along with around 100,000 others, I attended a protest against anti-Jewish hate in London. I remember seeing police clear space in the crowd and drag out the far-right leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson. Although he purported to support the aims of the event, Robinson had been banned because of his presence at the violent far-right ‘protect the Cenotaph’ protests on Armistice Day a few weeks before….

Nathan Eddy works full-time as Co-Director of the Council of Christians and Jews and is a minister in the URC

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This is an extract from an article published in the November 2024 edition of Reform

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