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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Warren Elf

The Boston Tea Party

Good morning and Shabbat shalom.

Today is the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the day in 1773 when demonstrators boarded the ships of the East India Company and threw the chests of tea into the Boston Harbour. The Sons of Liberty, some disguised as Native Americans, destroyed an entire shipment of tea in protest at the proposed taxes.
In many ways this led to further unrest and ultimately to the American Revolution.

Protest is a human right protected by Article 11 of the Human Rights Act.

We value our right to protest against anything we deem unfair, unjust or even that we simply disagree with. It is one of the most effective ways for the majority of us to have our voices heard. It is the reflection of public feeling in an attempt to generate change, especially by groups who feel overlooked or ignored. Protest is about coming together in solidarity to demand our rights are respected and can be regarded as a key tactic for humanity to win.

Many important changes for human rights would not happen without the right to protest. Many great movements in world history used protest and benefitted humanity as a whole.

Movements for change have often stood firm and courageous in the face of repression like police brutality, imprisonment or worse. Countless rights and freedoms enjoyed today, like women being able to vote, workers able to enjoy weekends, the abolition of slavery and the end of Apartheid, have all been won by protesting against injustice.

Dear God, we are children of many traditions, inheritors of shared wisdom, of proud hopes and humble successes. Give me strength to continue to work for justice, freedom and peace. May courage match convictions and integrity match hope, so that the right to protest brings blessings for the future.

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