Why Brigette DePape's Actions Were Heroic

In a society where most of the population is politically disengaged, speaking truth to power is something to be admired.

The barrage of criticism being heaped on former Canadian Senate page Brigette DePape's lone act of civil disobedience comes as no surprise, nor does the vehemence of some of the attacks. Naysayers’ statements range from the garden variety – "I agree with her statement, but she broke the rules and disrespected Parliament" – to the hyperbolic insinuation that her act bordered on terrorism. I have no wish to refute such histrionics. I simply want to try to articulate how I feel about DePape's actions, and why.

This sight filled me with joy, and with hope. I was incredibly moved by the spectacle of a young woman urging us into resistance amid the pomp and circumstance of the Speech from the Throne. The contrast between the institution of government – slow moving, conservative, designed to concentrate power in the hands of a professional political class – and the democracy of the people was extremely powerful. Imagine the courage this act required, and the poise.

Like much civil disobedience, DePape's action was symbolic, yet it immediately produced tangible results: The whole country – and, indeed, much of the world – was talking about it. My friends attending the International Peace Conference in Cairo, Egypt, said that Egyptians were cheering for DePape. And Canadians are now discussing if protest matters, why protest matters, and what should be done.

I've read that DePape's actions were not heroic because she didn't risk her life, or even risk arrest. Perhaps in some societies standing in the house of government holding a protest sign would not be a big deal. But in the Canadian context, DePape's actions stand out for their clarity and unique visibility.

DePape knowingly took an action that would cause her to lose her job, and that would place her at the centre of a media whirlwind, in order to make a statement. She used her position to give voice to the feelings of so many Canadians, and to put our agenda on a national and international stage in a way that no lawful protest could ever do.

By my observations, most Canadians are afraid to speak up, and many find the very act of speaking up distasteful. A common sentiment is that public protesters are objects of ridicule and disgust, and that they need to be controlled. Order is valued above all, at almost any cost.

Such attitudes do not create a climate in which a healthy democracy can flourish. They do, however, make it easy for elected officials to get away with nearly anything, from shutting down Parliament to avoid disclosing complicity in massive human-rights violations and possible war crimes, to allowing a Canadian teenager to grow up in a concentration camp.