The past 10 days have truly tested my patience. From making plans to build a wall to enacting what is being called a Muslim ban, our current head of government has certainly pushed the boundaries of ethical leadership. But at the same time, we, the citizens of the United States, have pushed back in the form of protests.

While the Women’s March is the largest organized protest in US history, many more spontaneous rallies have continued to sporadically pop up. And with a large increase in the number of protests, there continues to be a paralleled increase in the number of people who say that protests are annoying, a waste of time and filled with a bunch of “sore losers.”

Now, I accept criticism. I might even go so far as to say that I encourage it; how is anybody supposed to improve if they are never critiqued in the first place? However, I can’t accept this criticism directed towards protests because it doesn’t even really make sense in the first place.

You claim that protests are annoying, but that’s kind of the point. They’re not supposed to be an enjoyable pastime or something that you can stare and poke fun at while you drive home from work. They’re demonstrations, an act of disapproval for the way things are. Your annoyances are not the concerns of protesters. In fact, that’s probably the last thing on their minds. What they’re worried about are their human rights that are being threatened by our current government. If you were in their shoes, I’m sure you would be scared and angry, too.

And if you were a protester, I’m sure you wouldn’t see them as a waste of time, either. Protests give a voice to the people who might not otherwise be heard—certainly, you can find some kind of respect for that? I support the right of everybody in this country to exercise their freedom of speech, and so should you. I think these protests have something important to say; it’s only a waste of time if you don’t listen. They’re not whining or complaining about being on the losing side of an election. They’re protesting because the man who is currently our president has proven that he has little regard for the wellbeing of the citizens of this country. There’s a difference between complaining about “losing” and being legitimately threatened by our current government powers, and I think it’s time that we all learned it.

Many people have said that the protests need to stop, that Trump is our president and we have to respect his decisions. But here’s the thing: I will respect his decisions when he can prove that he has respect for the people in this country. And I have yet to see that kind of respect from him. I know you want peace and quiet. I do, too. But I, along with many others, also want equality and respect. So if your so-called peace has to be sacrificed in order to bring about those changes, then I apologize for the disturbance.

There is power in protests, and protesting gives us power. We’re not protesting because we want to; we’re protesting because we have to. Necessity demands action, and Trump’s current policies have demanded that we speak out against injustice. I have supported, do support, and will continue to support those who protest at airport terminals and in the streets, fighting for their rights. And I will protest in what ways I can, using my voice on every platform available. All that I can hope for is that people listen.