Blogging through Middlesex 1 (4.19.15)

Current Events: Riots

On March 18, 2015, a violent riot emerged in Frankfurt, Germany at the European Central Bank because of the population's financial struggle in unemployment. "Blockupy", which is the name of the protest group, consists of more than 90 European organizations, each with different goals in mind but still relating to the financial problem of the area. 

Although the riot only lasted until the evening that day, about 94 officials were hurt due to the protesters throwing rocks and spraying substances, which were thought to be pepper spray. Burning of police cars and personal belongings were scattered around the streets as well.

In Middlesex, Book Three took its readers to 1967, where tensions in America are brewing up many riots. Eventually, a riot strikes upon Detroit, and Milton Stephanides quickly drives to the diner, the Zebra Room, with gun in hand.

Comparatively, both riots seem to have a financial issue in play as the cause. For both the Frankfurt and Detroit riots, unemployment of the people helped to spark the violence between the officials and the people. In Middlesex, "[Milton's] vision had been to open not one restaurant but a chain. Now he realized that the first link in that chain, the Zebra Room, was a weak one... For the time being, he decided to close the diner on Mondays and Tuesdays to cut payroll expenses" (233-234). Everyone, including Milton, in the area has it rough which is why the riot started, For those in Frankfort, "The European Central Bank is supposed to ensure price stability in the eurozone, and it tries to keep inflation levels just below 2%. The region has been suffering from depressed economic activity, and unemployment remains near record highs." The European Central Bank is not doing what they told the people they were going to do. Instead, the people in Frankfort continue to suffer which causes the riot.

Although both events were labeled as a riot, one could argue these events were really an uprising because the people did have a goal; a goal to lower and end unemployment rates. Also, the Detroit riots were about racism which further adds to the violence while the Frankfurt riot was only about the unstable economy.

Furthermore, unlike the 1967 Detroit riot, guns were not used and looting stores did not happen in Frankfurt. However, fires seem to be a common weapon. In Middlesex, as the last scene in the chapter, "Opa!", Milton's diner is set on fire and he, along with Calliope, watches the restaurant as it burns slowly. For the Frankfurt riot, property, which included cars and furniture, were burned but fires no matter how big or small, sends a message to the officials. For instance, "The damage included at least seven police cars that were set on fire" which shows the officials that the people are serious and that they are not afraid to support their beliefs.

A fire can symbolize many ideas. An obvious one includes destruction. When you set an object on fire, that object burns until it is destroyed. After the destruction, nothing is left, and so one could also say that a fire symbolizes a fresh start, which could be something better than what was there previously. In a different sense, a fire can be seen as a form of protection. With the context of the riots, the reason why people used fires may be because they wanted to show the officials that they, as the people, do not feel secure and that they demand change. The fire was their way of telling officials to back off and make that change.  

Works cited

Eugenides, Jeffrey. "Book Three: Opa!" Middlesex. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2002. 232-                 251. Print.

Yan, Holly. "Protest turns violent in Germany at European Central Bank opening". Cable News                    Network. Turner Broadcasting System, 18 March 2015. Web. 19 April 2015.                                   <http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/18/europe/germany-european-central-bank-protest/>