This sight filled me with joy, and with hope. I was incredibly moved by the spectacle of a young woman urging us into resistance amid the pomp and circumstance of the Speech from the Throne. The contrast between the institution of government – slow moving, conservative, designed to concentrate power in the hands of a professional political class – and the democracy of the people was extremely powerful. Imagine the courage this act required, and the poise.
Like much civil disobedience, DePape's action was symbolic, yet it immediately produced tangible results: The whole country – and, indeed, much of the world – was talking about it. My friends attending the International Peace Conference in Cairo, Egypt, said that Egyptians were cheering for DePape. And Canadians are now discussing if protest matters, why protest matters, and what should be done.
I've read that DePape's actions were not heroic because she didn't risk her life, or even risk arrest. Perhaps in some societies standing in the house of government holding a protest sign would not be a big deal. But in the Canadian context, DePape's actions stand out for their clarity and unique visibility.
DePape knowingly took an action that would cause her to lose her job, and that would place her at the centre of a media whirlwind, in order to make a statement. She used her position to give voice to the feelings of so many Canadians, and to put our agenda on a national and international stage in a way that no lawful protest could ever do.
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Source: The Mark
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