The Protest

There was tension in the air as the citizens arrived. At dawn the first people gathered in hushed voices, hurriedly passing messages through the quickly growing crowd. From all forms of transportation more people poured, and flooded the square with a buzzing anticipation. By noon the crowd was well assembled, and people packed tightly into any available space. And with the chime of a clock, the masses began to come alive, surging forward with the energy of those who had been wronged.

Every second that ticked by was thick with uncertainty. Slowly, people began to breathe again, and began to chat under their breath, sharing stories of anger and misfortune, of memories of peace, of hope.

At least one thousand people had gathered into one pulsing mass of life and anger. At the front of the procession were the most angry, overflowing with bitterness and a need to be heard. Above them the sun glared dismally, not a single cloud in sight to protect them from the harsh glow.

By three o’clock the press has arrived, and packed any remaining space. They have come to capture the inevitable conflict, circling above the heads of the protesters like vultures, time ticks by, and the impatience of the reporters shows. As time continues to crawl, tension builds in the air, and all at once it feels as though one collective breath has been taken.

The people breathe as one, hope as one, and move as one, as once again they press forward towards the opulent building in front of them. Step by step, they approach their destiny, their oppressor, their potential end, and though many of them are scared, not one has any misgivings for what they are about to do. The bitterness seems to overflow as the observers watch with bated breath, and each minute feels more and more treacherous.

Suddenly there is a yell that echoes over the sea of people, and an understanding has been reached. As one, they move forward, aggressively this time, screaming and flailing as they reach the gates to the building and start to push through, fists flying and emotions high. The protest has begun.