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Features of Popular Protests - Coggle Diagram
Features of Popular Protests
Pressure
Financial Pressure
acts as a tipping point that transforms long-standing griefs into active and mass mobilization
inflation, particularly in food and fuel prices, is a major catalyst for protests (witness globally in 2022)
lower-income individuals often join protests first due to lower opportunity costs, but as a movement grows, the diversity of participants increases, often creating a "war of attrition" on the streets
Economical Pressure
acts as a catalyst for collective action when citizens feel their livelihoods, stability, or future prospects are directly threatened by financial stress
relationship is often characterized by a "feedback loop," where economic hardship triggers protests, which causes economic instability, potentially encouraging more unrest
Social Pressure
fundamental driver of popular protests, functioning both as an internal motivator for participation and an external mechanism for demanding change
operates through social networks, peer influence, and the desire for social belonging, often transforming individual grievances into collective action
desire to conform to social groups (friends, peers, family) drives individuals to participate in protest activities.
protests act as a form of social accountability, needing public gatherings to force governments to respond to specific demands
External Pressure
World War 1
served as a massive catalyst for popular protests while transforming societies and redefining relationships between citizens and the state
the immense strain of the war (food shortages, economic hardships, and massive casualties) undermined the state legitimacy and fueled widespread unrest and strikes
World War 2
served both as a trigger for dissent and catalyst for major social movements
protests that happened during this war ranged from desperate and nonviolent ones to others demanding for civil rights
before December 1941, the US had strong anti-war protests, most notably the America First Committee, which urged fairness and equality
Cold War
acted both as a catalyst for global dissent while also acting as a framework that shaped the demands, the methods, and targets for the activists
protests emerged in response to the fear of "nuclear annihilation" opposition to superpower military interventions and domestic social inequalities
Global Pressure
With the world seeing the little rock nine and America's attemps to prevent desegregation in schools....
Cold War Propaganda
Soviet Union used images of Little Rock Ninebeing harrassed by white mobs to undermind US claims of moral superity
Argues that the "leader of the free world" couldn't even protect its on citizen's basic rights
Diplomatic Embarrassment
John Foster Dulles warned that the crisis was damaging American influence abroad
Diplomats reported that the events were efforts to win over new independent nations in Africa and Asia : who viewed U.S. racism as a sign
Awareness of what's happening in South Africa
Many countries around the world began creating different sanction ways to reduce the trades that they had with South Africa to punish them
All of these sancions ended up causing vast damage to South Africa's economy which resulted in inflation increasing at an alterating rate
Some key figures in international governments, such as President Ronald Raegan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opposted sanctioning South Africa for a variety of reasons
Ultimately, they were overruled by their governments or Head of State
Their thoughts that Nelson Mandela and the Anc were equivelent of terrorists or the fact that the sanctions might affect regular people more than the government
Media
Television
acts as a critical mediator between popular protests and the broader public
shaping perceptions
influences political outcomes
determines the visibility of social movements
historically and currently, TV coverage tends to operate within a "protest paradigm," which often prioritizes spectacles of violence and confrontation over the substantive reasons for the protest
Film
acting as mirrors of societal discontent, catalysts for mobilization, and symbolic toolkits for activists
shapes collective consciousness by documenting struggles, humanizing marginalized groups, and providing narratives that challenge authorities
Documentary film making serves as a record of human right abuses. "The Square" as an example, documented the Egyption revolution while "Hooligan Sparrow" exposed sexual abuse which both acts as evidence of injustice
Newspaper
Many mainstream outlets focus on the drama, disruption, or violence of a protest rather than its underlying grievances, and this can trivialize the movement and decrease public support.
Coverage in major newspapers like The New York Times or The Washington Post can force an issue onto the political agenda, prompting action from elites and policymakers
Provides detailed reports on the reasons behind the unrest and they can turn a "public nuisance" into a significant political issue while garnering support from those not directly involved
While many newspapers use a "protest paradigm" which focuses on violence and disrupting order, others such as reports, present testimonies and humanizes protesters
Helps the public to understand the protesters' motives and feelings which builds more empathy rather than fear
Propaganda
linked to popular protests, acting primarily as a tool for authorities to suppress, discredit, or control them
protesters often use counter-propaganda to build solidarity and spread their message
In authoritarian contexts, anti-protest propaganda is a signaling mechanism that warns citizens of the state's capacity and willingness to punish, reducing public support for protests through fear rather than just persuasion
Radio
Acts as a crucial part in popular protests because it facilitates organizations while disseminating informations in real-life
Functions both as a tool for mobilizing participants and used as a "public sphere" that allows for political education and legitimization of protest strategies
Vital tool in protests because it acts as an accessible, trusted and resilient medium for mass mobilization, information sharing and unifying different groups (especially in environments where internet infrastructure is restricted or damaged
Unlike digital media platforms which can be blocked easily, the radio provides "a voice of revolution" that can reach across borders, even to illiterate and operate in areas with limited/no electricity (no batter and no solar power)
Is a fast way to coordinate protests efforts and to generate solidarity as seen in historical instances like the underground resistance during World War II
The use of radios are often viewed as more of a reliable source than TV - particularly during social protests where TVs might face pressure to represent political conflicts favorably to the state
This image is from BBC Radios
Methods
Different Demonstrations
Acts as a tactical and physical manifestations of broader popular protests and social movements
Are specific organized actions such as marches, rallies, strikes or online campaigns
Relates to protests by translating public griefs to visible and actionable events aimed especially at making decisions and triggering a social change
Violence
Abuses
Sometimes functions as a cause while sometimes acting like a consequence
Research indicates that abuse by state authorities such as excessive forces, tortures and unlawful detentions can escalate protests
Arrests happening without any evidence
Authorities frequently use mass arrests to physically clear streets when protests are "unlawful assemblies"
Undercover or plainclothes officers often target and arrest perceived leaders or "incendiary" individuals to neutralize the movement's organization
Protest Marches
Primarily and easily visible tactic of protests used by citizens to express discontent, raise awareness and apply pressure
Serves as mechanism for transforming individual sentiments of injustice to a collective and pubic demonstration
Civil Disobedience
A specialised and a strategic form of protest characterized by non-violent and public and highlights injustice
Specifically crosses the line into illegal territory to make a deeper moral or political point
Lawsuits
private actors or governments may sue organizers for damaged caused by the participants using theories like negligence, conspiracy, or RICO
in many contexts such as HK, the sentencing landscape has shifted which results in heavier penalties for offenses committed during protests
Sometimes the government needs to know that they need to make a change, and that it's not always the country or the rules problem for certain issues
Organisation
Individuals
Martin Luther King
He's not saying that USA is a bad place
He compares with China and Russia and mentions that if he lived in China or Russia or other totalitarian conuntry, he could understand some illegal injuctions
The tone in his voice is hopefull-ness and peacefulness instead of panic and fear
Some of the words that he use are directly from the Bible : he's trying to get the people listening to be engaged where-ever they are from
Mentions a lot of different ways that the world could be fixed like him talking about his children living in a different world with no racism, and also talks about countries
Around him, there were people fromd different countries, different races and etc
Uses repetition of "I have a dream" and emphasises his dream for this country at that time
Words being used sound poetic
he repeats some words including freedom, we, our, you, nation, and etc
freedom. : 20 times, we : 30 times, our : 17 times, you : 8 times, nation : 10 times, america : 5 times, etc
He references the freedoms of speech which is the most important thing that America looks at currently
He doesn't use a speech paper while he has his last speech and that shows that whatever he said, he actually meant it with his heart
Moses being used : "I've been to the mountaintop" and he is directly comparing himself in that sentence
Malcom X
born in 1925 and he faced intense racism including the destruction of his home by white people and his dad's murder
after his mum was institutionalized, he moved to Boston and later on got engaged in crime and he was sentenced to prison for burglary in 1946
while in prison, he converted to the NOI, which is a black nationalist group led by Elijah Muhammad. He later on adopted with the surname X in order to represent his lost unknown African tribal name
unlike Martin Luther King's non-violent approach, he advocated in defending Black communities "by any means necessary" while criticizing mainstream civil rights efforts as ineffective
on February 21st of 1965, he was shot and killed while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem
Different Speeches
"The Ballot of the Bullet" (April 3rd of 1964)
he argued that 1964 was the year to decide between voting or violence and revolution which is why the title of the speech is ballot or bullet, ballot being voting and bullet representing violence and revolution
urged Black Americans to stop being "political chumps" for the Democratic party which he argued took Black voted while failing to fully deliver civil rights
advocated for Black control of the politics, economy, and schools in Black communities and argued for the right to self defense
"Message to the Grass Roots" (November of 1963)
stated that true revolutions are never nonviolent nor polite, but instead stated that they are bloody and overturn systems
used this analogy to distinguish between Black people who identified with the house Negro and the masses who wanted freedom (field Negro)
criticized the 1963 March at Washington, arguing that "foxy white liberals" controlled the movement to dilute the anger of masses
"The Black Revolution" (in 1963)
frequently placed the Black American struggle within the context of the global anti - colonial movement in Africa and Asia
coined the phrase "by any means necessary" to emphasize that Black people shouldn't be limited to nonviolence when they are facing brutal and violent opposition
Nelson Mandela
Famous for being "Africa's Greatest Freedom Symbol"
Initially committed to non-violent protests, in association with the SACP he co-founded the militant that led a sabotage campaign against apartheid government
His early life, which was characterized by a mix of traditional royal upbringing, exposure to democratic consensus-building and a formal Western education, provided a unique foundation for his leadership in the anti-apartheid movement
His formative years instilled in him “a stubborn sense of fairness” and a commitment to justice that he later translated into political activism
One of the hardest things for the prisoners to bear was separation from their families, when Winnie and Nelson Mandela finally got to see each other, they could only talk to each other for half an hour while being separated by a window and speaking with a telephone and they weren’t allowed to touch each other as well and it kept that way till 1984.
He spent a total of 27 years in prison and he endured forced labor, brutal conditions and extreme isolation (his prison was located in Robben Island)
Despite being allowed only little visits, he still managed to study law, led some other prisoners, and changed him being imprisoned to a symbol of defiance against South African regime
Groups
The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)
revolutionised popular protest by adopting militant "deeds not words" tactic to demand women's suffrage
moved beyond peaceful campaigning, utilising window breakings, arson, hunger strikes, and property destructions
Black Panthers
panthers famously carried weapons while monitoring police activities to challenge brutality
members marches into California state legislature to protest a bill restricting carrying loaded weapons in public
more than 35 programs were launched including the Free Breakfast for Children Program, free health clinics, clothing distributions and legal aids
organised rallies and marches such as in Boston in order to demand the release of incarcerated members
The Salt March
the purpose of this protest was to protest against the "Salt Act of 1882" which prohibited Indians from collecting or selling salt while forcing them to buy it at high prices from the British
Took place in 1930 led by Mahatma Gandi and it was a 240 mile non-violent protest against the British salt monoply in India
Gandhi and 78 initial nonviolent resistors walked from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to the coastal village of Dandi (Gujarat), covering 240 miles
The impact of this march :
Initiated the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement
Resulted in an arrest for over 60000 to 80000 people including Gandhi himself
Provided significant momentum to the Indian Independence movement which drew global media coverage
Why salt???
Gandhi chose salt because it was essential to every Indian, making the tax a universally understood symbol of colonial oppression
The heavy tax on such a basic item was viewed as a symbol of colonial oppression and British arrogance
The march followed the Indian National Congress's January 26, 1930, declaration of "Complete Self-Rule"
The peaceful nature of the march managed to juxtapose with the brutality of British authorities while gaining a lot of global media attention and while raising awareness of the Indian independence movement
While India didn't gain freedom and independence until 1947, the march forced the British to negotiate with Gandhi and significantly reduced the legitimacy for their rule
Chronology of the March
On March 2, 1930, Gandhi wrote a letter to Viceroy Lord Irwin, offering to stop the march if several demands (including the abolition of the salt tax) were met, Viceroy did not reply
Gandhi stopped at villages each day to give speeches and by the time they reached Dandi, the crowd had grown from dozens to tens of thousands
At 8:30 AM on April 6, 1930, Gandhi picked up a lump of natural salt from the mud at Dandi, technically breaking the law
