Is there any point to protesting?
People are taking to the streets in growing numbers but sceptics say it achieves little.
Many academics and activists have argued that we are living through a golden age of protest. From the Arab Spring to Occupy, the Yellow Vests to the Women’s Marches, myriad anti-government movements and the global climate strikes led by Greta Thunberg, the last decade has seen a near unprecedented wave of popular demonstrations erupting across the world.
But does this type of political mobilisation really work or has it simply become a way to let off steam? What sort of protests have the best chance of achieving their aims? Has tech helped or hindered? And are there alternatives to hitting the streets?
We’ll ask a panel of experts those questions and more on this episode of The Stream.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
L.A. Kauffman, @LAKauffman
Organizer & Author of “Direct Action: Protest and the Reinvention of American Radicalism” & “How to Read a Protest: The Art of Organizing and Resistance”
lakauffman.org
Fabio Rojas, @fabiorojas
Professor of Sociology, Indiana University & Editor, Contexts Magazine
fabiorojas.net
Paolo Gerbaudo, @paologerbaudo
Sociologist & Director, Centre for Digital Culture at King’s College London
kcl.ac.uk/people
Read more:
We are living through a golden age of protest – The Guardian
Why protesting is important – Medium
World on fire: 13 major protests happening right now – Business Insider
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