What is the purpose of a protest?
WHAT IS A PROTEST? “A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage.” (1)
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? “Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate by attending, and share the potential costs and risks of doing so. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass political demonstrations. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or they may undertake direct action in an attempt to enact desired changes themselves. When protests are part of a systematic and peaceful nonviolent campaign to achieve a particular objective, and involve the use of pressure as well as persuasion, they go beyond mere protest and may be better described as civil resistance or nonviolent resistance.” (1) “In Sudan, protest movements brought about direct change in government last year. People who were actively protesting on the streets are now part of that government.” Ahmed Soliman, Research Fellow, Africa Programme (2)
IS A THEME REQUIRED? “For a protest to be powerful, you must communicate clearly about why you are protesting and what changes you desire.” “A protest can only bring about valuable policy change, when it is well-planned, focused, and the demands are clear. Protesters must express their displeasure and constructively present their demands as one voice.” “Protest movements are often dismissed by governments by deploying excuses along the lines of ‘their demands are unclear’ or ‘they have no solutions’. A way to ensure that protest movements are able to stand together in support of solutions is by forming ‘working groups’. These groups gather the concerns of the protesters, sit down to analyze the responses and then develop specific demands and solutions that represent what protesters want.” (2)
HOW EFFECITVE IS ONE GROUP? “It is crucial to link up with organizations which are working towards similar goals, connecting to other social activists as well”, all like-minded with same goal. “The networking, support and expanded skills resulting from engaging with others can help protests movements put themselves into a position where the authorities are forced to enter a phase of dialogue and hopefully answer the demands given to them.” (2)
WHY IS A “PEACEFUL PROTEST” SO IMPORTANT? “There are many ways that non-violent protest approaches are effective; they convey a vital message to both government officials and citizens that peoples’ lives matter.” ”Protest should not been seen as synonymous with violence but with dialogue.” Dr Leena Koni Hoffmann, Associate Fellow, Africa Programme (2)
(1) Click here to go to source. Wikipedia: There is a list of protest that go all the way back to the 16th century! Learn about the differences between a protest, rally, civil unrest and so much more!
(2) Click here to go to the source. What Makes a Successful Protest