Protest and resistance performances have been powerful tools for social change throughout history. From the Civil Rights Movement to contemporary climate activism, these acts challenge injustice and demand action through creative, disruptive tactics.

Activists use various strategies to make their voices heard, from sit-ins and marches to digital campaigns and street theater. While these performances can raise awareness and inspire change, they also face challenges like media misrepresentation and state repression.

Protest and Resistance Performances

Historical Examples

• The Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s employed various forms of protest and activist performances
  • Sit-ins challenged racial segregation in public spaces (restaurants, buses)
  • Freedom rides tested the enforcement of desegregation laws on interstate buses
  • The March on Washington, featuring Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, advocated for racial equality and justice
• The Women's Suffrage Movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries utilized various public demonstrations to advocate for women's right to vote
  • Pageants and parades showcased the strength and unity of the movement
  • Public speeches and rallies spread the message of gender equality
  • Picketing and protests outside government buildings pressured politicians to support suffrage
• The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) in the 1980s and 1990s used direct action to raise awareness about the AIDS crisis and demand government action
  • Die-ins, where activists lay on the ground as if dead, symbolized the lives lost to AIDS
  • Political funerals mourned and honored those who died from AIDS while criticizing government inaction
  • Demonstrations and protests, such as the "Seize Control of the FDA" action, pressured health agencies to expedite AIDS research and treatment

Contemporary Examples

• The Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous group of feminist artists, have been using various tactics since the 1980s to expose gender and racial inequalities in the art world
  • Posters and billboards featuring statistics and provocative statements highlight the underrepresentation of women and artists of color
  • Public performances and interventions, such as the "Weenie Count" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, critique the male-dominated canon of art history
  • The group's signature gorilla masks maintain anonymity while symbolizing the "guerrilla" nature of their activism
• The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and allies engaged in protests to resist the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on sacred land and to protect water resources
  • Protest camps, such as the Oceti Sakowin camp, provided a gathering place for activists and a base for resistance
  • Demonstrations, marches, and direct actions, such as blocking construction equipment, physically obstructed the pipeline's progress
  • Prayer circles and sacred ceremonies affirmed the spiritual and cultural significance of the land and water
• The global climate justice movement, led by youth activists such as Greta Thunberg, has organized various actions to demand urgent action on the climate crisis
  • School strikes, where students skip classes to protest, emphasize the younger generation's stake in addressing climate change
  • Marches and rallies, such as the Global Climate Strikes, mobilize mass support for climate action
  • Direct actions, such as occupying political offices or disrupting fossil fuel industry events, confront those in power and demand accountability

Strategies of Activist Performances

Disruptive and Confrontational Tactics

• Activist performances often employ disruptive tactics to draw attention to their cause and challenge the status quo
  • Occupying public spaces, such as parks or government buildings, asserts the right to assembly and reclaims spaces for protest
  • Interrupting events, such as political speeches or corporate meetings, forces those in power to confront activist demands
  • Staging die-ins, where activists lie on the ground as if dead, creates a visceral and emotionally charged statement about the consequences of inaction or oppression
• The use of symbolic gestures can serve as powerful visual statements of resistance and solidarity
  • The raised fist, popularized by the Black Power movement, represents strength, defiance, and unity in the face of oppression
  • Kneeling during the national anthem, as done by athletes such as Colin Kaepernick, protests police brutality and racial injustice
  • Wearing specific colors or symbols, such as the pink pussy hats at the 2017 Women's March, creates a shared visual identity for a movement

Creative and Artistic Approaches

• Activist performances frequently incorporate elements of street theater, satire, and parody to critique and subvert dominant narratives and power structures
  • Guerrilla theater, such as the work of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, uses humor and absurdity to expose political and social issues
  • Culture jamming, such as the work of the Yes Men, subverts corporate and political messaging through satirical impersonations and hoaxes
  • Parody and pastiche, such as the use of popular song melodies with altered lyrics, can make activist messages more accessible and memorable
• The creation of temporary autonomous zones, such as protest camps or occupied spaces, can provide a physical and symbolic challenge to existing power structures
  • Protest camps, such as the Occupy Wall Street encampments, create alternative spaces for community building and prefigurative politics
  • Occupied spaces, such as the occupation of a university building or abandoned lot, reclaim and repurpose spaces for activist purposes
  • These zones often involve the creation of art, music, and other cultural expressions that imagine alternative ways of being and relating

Digital and Embodied Strategies

• The use of social media and digital platforms has become an increasingly important strategy for activist performances
  • Social media allows for the rapid dissemination of information and documentation of activist actions
  • Digital platforms facilitate the coordination of actions and events across geographic boundaries
  • Hashtag activism, such as #MeToo or #BlackLivesMatter, enables the amplification of marginalized voices and the creation of virtual communities of solidarity
• Activist performances often involve the strategic use of the body to draw attention to vulnerability and precarity
  • Nude protests, such as those by the feminist group Femen, use the naked body to challenge sexual objectification and oppression
  • Hunger strikes, such as those by political prisoners or immigration detainees, use the starving body to demand justice and assert bodily autonomy
  • Bodily gestures, such as hands up or lying on the ground, evoke specific experiences of violence or subjugation (police brutality, refugee crisis)

Impact of Protest Performances

Raising Awareness and Shifting Public Opinion

• Protest and resistance performances can raise public awareness about social and political issues
  • Media coverage of activist actions can amplify the reach of their messages and demands
  • Performances that create compelling visuals or narratives are more likely to capture public attention and generate discussion
  • Awareness-raising can help to shift public opinion in favor of marginalized communities and causes
• The media coverage generated by protest and resistance performances can amplify the reach and impact of activist messages
  • Positive media coverage can generate sympathy and support for activist causes
  • However, media framing can also distort or undermine activist messages, portraying protesters as violent or unreasonable
  • Activists often develop media strategies to counter negative framing and ensure their voices are heard

Mobilizing Action and Effecting Policy Change

• Protest and resistance performances can inspire and mobilize others to take action
  • Successful actions can create a sense of momentum and empowerment, encouraging more people to join a movement
  • Performances that model specific tactics or strategies can be replicated and adapted by other activists
  • The ripple effect of activism can extend beyond the initial performance, as seen in the global spread of the Fridays for Future climate strikes
• Activist performances can put pressure on political leaders and institutions to address issues and enact policy changes
  • The Civil Rights Movement's protests and demonstrations contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
  • ACT UP's activism helped to speed up the approval process for AIDS medications and increase funding for research and treatment
  • The pressure generated by the Dakota Access Pipeline protests led to the Obama administration's decision to deny the pipeline's permit (although this was later reversed by the Trump administration)

Limitations and Unintended Consequences

• The effectiveness of protest and resistance performances can be limited by various factors
  • State repression, such as police violence or mass arrests, can physically suppress activist actions
  • Lack of resources or organizational capacity can make it difficult to sustain long-term movements
  • The challenges of translating symbolic actions into concrete policy changes can lead to activist burnout or disillusionment
• The impact of protest and resistance performances can be difficult to measure
  • Social and political change often occurs gradually and can be influenced by multiple factors beyond the performance itself
  • Some effects, such as changes in attitudes or cultural norms, may be intangible or not immediately apparent
  • The long-term impact of a performance may not be evident until years or even decades later
• Activist performances can have unintended consequences that undermine their effectiveness
  • Backlash from those in power, such as counter-protests or smear campaigns, can discredit or overshadow activist messages
  • Performances that rely on stereotypes or fail to consider intersectionality can reinforce prejudices or exclude marginalized voices within a movement
  • Actions that alienate potential allies or generate public antipathy can hinder a movement's ability to build broad-based support