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Protest

Protest expressed relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favour, more often opposed. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or may undertake direct action to attempt to directly enact desired changes themselves.

Causes

Self-expression can, in theory, in practice or in appearance, be restricted by governmental policy, economic circumstances, religious orthodoxy, social structures, or media monopoly. When such restrictions happen, grumbles or interior opposition may spill over into other areas such as culture, the streets or emigration.

Historical Examples

Unaddressed protest may grow and foster dissent, activism, riots, insurgency, revolts, and political and/or social revolution, as in:

• Northern Europe in the early 16th century (see Protestant Reformation)
• North America in the 1770s (see American Revolution)
• France in 1789 (see French Revolution)
• United States of America in the late 20th-century (see for example Stonewall riots)
• Serbia in 2000.

Forms of Protest

Canonical forms of protest include:

• parts of the Anti-globalization movement
• boycotts
• civil disobedience
• some cases of culture jamming and graffiti
• demonstrations
• flag desecration
• non-violent protest
• occupation
• picketing
• protest marches
• protest songs
• certain classes of publicity stunt
• samizdat and zines
• sit-ins
• die-ins
• strike action
• formation of a Tent City

See also

• Global protests against war in Iraq in 2003 (both before the war and during the war)
• List of protests
• First Amendment to the United States Constitution
• Tiananmen Square protests of 1989

Note: In American English the verb "protest" often acts transitively: The students protested the policy. Elsewhere we still find intransitive usage: The students protested against the policy; or: The students protested in favour of the policy.