The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked national and global protests but with those protests have come more issues that need to be dealt with: protesters need to be protected, not arrested or beaten.

Those out in the streets asking for change should not and will not be silenced after years of being ignored. What little attention they receive comes in the form of villainization, brutal force and false pretenses of protection that only put a muzzle on those speaking out.

When Hong Kong saw a massive peaceful and violent resistance to China’s authoritarian extradition plan, liberals and conservatives alike praised these protesters and even gleefully shared exciting videos of tactics. They went so far as to start a campaign to recognize the protesters as TIME’s people of the year.

Belarus has seen a massive uprising against its long standing dictator defrauding their elections (take notes Democrats) with direct assaults on the police and fighting in the streets. This movement has been widely praised by those in the “West,” with hand wringing over its progress.

Yet, when the largest wave of protests in recent history strikes the United States, the stories are of vicious rioters attacking decent, hardworking officers who are simply doing their jobs.

I wonder where the support for the underdog went.

This double standard is sickening, and only serves to highlight the hypocrisy that makes up a large portion of this countries beliefs.

Protesters are under threat and more must be done by the government and the media to protect them and their rights. Real action must be taken to clearly ensure protection, and to properly give them a platform free of bias or mischaracterization.

Since the start of the protests, many arrests have been made and numerous unfortunate cases have arisen where some have been shot at by police with rubber bullets and tear gas for simply voicing their opinion, which they have a right to do.

Many peaceful protests have taken place but quickly escalate due not to those speaking, but to the law enforcement present.

Many have started petitions to have them protected from federal officers. Fox News reported about a policy that would drop charges against people who were arrested at a protest, unless physical violence is involved.

Steps like these serve to build a foundation that reinforces our rights as people of this country, and benefit both parties, by limiting violence from other side.

Lawsuits are now circulating, in which cities are being sued for violating 1st amendment rights.

As reported by The Statesman Journal, a woman in Salem, Massachusetts is currently suing the city Salem Police Department for violating her civil rights. She was seriously injured with rubber bullets by police officers while protesting peacefully.

City Officials have not yet commented on the lawsuit, but many more lawsuits are being started by other protests around the U.S who feel like their rights were violated.

For those who believe in this change, and for those who are out in the streets now is the time to look into these lawsuits as many may have already begun in your local area. Every voice counts, and a simple search online can turn up many petitions and protests in which you can make a difference.

Get out there and fight for your rights, stand up and defend your right to protest and never ever let yourself be silenced by the hypocrites we call our leaders.