As the stigmas associated with large political protests in this country seem to grow each passing year, we must give due consideration to the function protests serve. Historically, protests have catalyzed dramatic social change -- from the civil rights protests of the 1960s to the anti-apartheid demonstrations of the 1980s. Since 1999, when protesters clashed with police at the World Trade Organization's (WTO) summit in Seattle, anti-globalization efforts have acquired a reputation for being proponents of violence and disorder. This stigma was furthered in April 2000, when Washington, D.C. police arrested about 1,300 people during demonstrations against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Around 30 Brandeis students participated in the weekend's demonstrations.This weekend in the nation's capital demonstrators attempted to shut-down the city as the World Bank and IMF met there Friday. The protesters' intents -- while some might contend ran antithetical to the consistently violent outcome -- were to decry the organizations' alleged harm to the environment, the health and safety of workers, and impediments on free trade in underdeveloped countries. Some protesters blocked traffic with a march, a mass bike ride and by other means.

While Metro police said that overall disruptions were minimal, protesters clashed with police several time and windows were broken at a downtown Citibank office. By Monday evening, the Washington Post reported police had arrested 654 demonstrators. No Brandeis students were arrested, and those who participated said it was not their goal to shutdown Washington.

It is the Constitutional right of Americans to assemble peacefully in protest. Yet, when a few individuals bring smoke bombs and explosive devices to such events, as some did this weekend, the spirit of the peaceful demonstrations of the great leader Martin Luther King is poisoned, and the cause of many may be undermined by a few.

Protestors who prevent others from going about their daily lives, meanwhile championing others' human rights, do so hypocritically; after all, people do live in Washington, D.C. This weekend's activities literally prevented cars from driving in areas not designated for protest. Small groups of protesters ran between intersections, using their bodies as street blockades outside of the police security perimeter. Even more striking, a number of demonstrators sought to "quarantine" the World Bank by preventing international delegates from leaving their offices Friday.

Where do the peaceful voices, such as those of many Brandeis students, fit in? The consensus among college students present at the demonstration was that the goal of public outreach was achieved. Many even concurred that while their actions may not change the state of the global economy, they nonetheless created a situation in which international attention was brought to their causes. Media attention was indeed significant, but protestors lacked a common focus; protestors advocated various causes, including women's rights, worker's rights, environmental issues and anti-capitalism. While we do not seek to pass judgement on individual causes, their messages were lost in the cacophony. Protestors did garner media attention, but audiences saw chaos, not a cause.

A democracy functions best when its members abide by the rule of law. While those who condemn the actions of the World Bank, IMF and WTO are opposed to an increasingly globalized economy, they must also recognized that their actions are heard on a global spectrum. When they speak with rage, we cannot hear them.