Not passive but resistant
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Gandhi (1869-1948) used passive resistance - a nonviolent form of resistance against governments by refusing to cooperate with authority or breaking laws - as a way to oppose British rule within India. The generation that stood up for Quddus Ali in the early 1990s used a form of assertive resistance to the government. After the events that ensued on the September 10th vigil, passive resistance against authority would not have helped the harm that the Bangladeshi/South Asian community was experiencing. The Asian Dub Foundation's lyrics in "TH9" reinforce this idea, "Our parents had to sit tight - Weren't allowed to fight back physically - Just a mental strain - Restraint! - Now I think I've found a remedy - To this recurring pain - Not passive but resistant." The Tower Hamlets Nine Defence Campaign had no other option but to use active resistance against police authority to have their message understood. A peaceful vigil for an innocent individual who was harmed by a racist gang was overshadowed by police provocation. Institutional fear of the "Other" allowed for police to justify initiating confrontation against brown and black teenagers, leading them to be arrested. For groups like The Tower Hamlets Nine Defence Campaign, this assertive resistance was necessary for them to create change and see justice and peace.