On March 5, I attended March in March, a student-led protest against budget cuts to the higher education system of California that brought thousands of students to the steps of the California Capitol. Many protesters displayed signs, recited chants, discussed issues with fellow students and, in general, acted in a noisy yet respectable manner. But not everyone felt the need to conduct themselves as adults.

As the demonstrations slowed and students began to trickle out of the crowd, a smaller contingent of protesters attempted to force entry into the already-full Capitol rotunda. Not surprisingly, police lined the entrances and blocked the crowd. A front line developed between cops and crowd, along with an eerie feeling of dry tinder waiting for a spark.

Many protesters heckled the officers, using coarse language and rude hand gestures to demonstrate their anger at the situation.  Suddenly, protesters seemed less like concerned citizens and more like undisciplined children.

When I confronted one student over his hateful words towards officers, he defended his actions by comparing himself to the likes of Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. He said he was proud to be exercising his civil disobedience. 

What a joke.

Since when do disrespect and hate represent the legacy of peaceful protesting predecessors?  How little do people know of history to make such a claim?

Sentiments of anger and frustration do have a place in this situation, but belong with those who run our government.  The officers present that day were simply doing their job: managing a crowd that had the potential to run amok.

So how could today’s Occupy movement really embody Ghandi and King, Jr.? 

Protesters could present themselves in a respectable manner, both in dress and in actions.  They should police their own; if protesters are acting in a manner unbecoming of the movement, others should step up and gently remind the offenders of how to conduct themselves. They should also continue the movement outside of demonstrations by collecting signatures, voting politicians out of office and carefully choosing where to spend their money.

A few bad apples have the potential to incite a riot and further mar the reputation of the Occupy movement. The responsibly lies on everyone’s shoulders to identify these individuals and prevent them from steering the crowd down the wrong path.