Images of Activism

“Artistic Vigil: To mourn the death of a public hero; to link a natural disaster or public tragedy to a political message; to protest the launch of a war” (10, Boyd and Mitchell) “A good example is the series of “Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War” vigils organized by the Artists’ Network of Refuse & Resist in New York City were asked to wear a dust mask (common in NYC after 9/11), dress in all black (common in NYC all the time), show up at Times Square at exactly 5 pm, and remain absolutely silent. Each participant held a sign that read “Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War.” These vigils were silent and solemn, but there was a precision to the message that gave them a visceral potency in that emotionally raw time, for participants and observers alike” (11, Boyd and Mitchell) .

“Creative Disruption: To expose and disrupt the public relations efforts of the armed and dangerous. Particularly useful at speeches, hearings, meetings, fundraisers, and the like” (18, Boyd and Mitchell). “Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum being glitter-bombed at a Town Hall forum in late 2012 by LGBTQ rights activists. Not only did the initial hit of glitter creatively disrupt his meet-and-greet, but the continual presence of glitter on his person put him and his homophobic and anti-LGBTQ sentiments in a decision-dilemma” (20, Boyd and Mitchell).

“Detournement/Culture jamming: Altering the meaning of a target’s meaning or brand; packaging critical messages as highly contagious media viruses” (28, Boyd and Mitchell) “Pepper Spray Cop” Lt. Pike strolls through the Beatles’ iconic Abbey Road cover, casually pepper spraying Paul McCartney. The doctored image plays on the popularity of the Beatles to emphasize the callous absurdity of Pike’s actions…UC Davis police officer Lt. John Pike began to pop up in some unexpected places after he was captured on film pepper spraying students during a peaceful protest” (29, Boyd and Mitchell).

“Media-jacking: To undermine your opposition’s narrative by hijacking their event; to draw attention to your side of the story; to capitalize on your target’s media presence; to reframe an issue; to be a jackass” (72, Boyd and Mitchell) “U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos capture global attention with a Black Power salute on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. This famous image subverted the spectacle of the medal ceremony to make a powerful statement rejecting racism and oppression” (72, Boyd and Mitchell) http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1887394,00.html

Lady in White As one of the four mounted heralds of the Suffrage Parade on March 3, 1913, lawyer Inez Milholland Boissevain led a procession of more than 5,000 marchers down Washington D.C.'s Pennsylvania Avenue. The National American Woman Suffrage Association raised more than $14,000 to fund the event that became one of the most important moments in the struggle to grant women the right to vote — a right that was finally achieved seven years later. Tactic: creative disruption and/or trek

“The most lasting image from the last big march on the Pentagon, on October 21, 1967, survives in the collective memory as summing up an era. Carnations in gun barrels were the essence of Flower Power” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR2007031701300.html) Multiple responses: trek and/or creative disruption

The Salt March On March 12, 1930, at the age of 61, Mohandas Gandhi left his ashram with a band of 78 handpicked volunteers and headed for the sea. The Mahatma's destination was the village of Dandi, 241 miles to the south. Once he arrived at the beach, 24 days later, Gandhi proceeded to pick up salt, the production of which was controlled by the occupying British government. It was a simple gesture that served as the start to India's independence movement” (http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1887394_1861264,00.html). “Trek: To link disparate locations that seek to have impact on a common issue; to model alternative community; to demonstrate commitment to a cause through endurance; to physically embody a pathway to an alternative” (90, Boyd and Mitchell).

The Unknown Rebel “After the death of pro-democracy leader Hu Yaobang in mid-1989, students began gathering in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mourn his passing. Over the course of seven weeks, people from all walks of life joined the group to protest for greater freedom. The Chinese government deployed military tanks on June 4 to squelch the growing demonstration and randomly shot into the crowds, killing more than 200 people. One lone, defiant man walked onto the road and stood directly in front of the line of tanks, weaving from side to side to block the tanks and even climbing on top of the first tank at one point in an attempt to get inside. The man's identity remains a mystery. Some say he was killed; others believe him to be in hiding in Taiwan” (http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1887394_1861266,00.html). Artistic Vigil

“They were two of the most daring days of the modern environmentalist movement: Greenpeace protesters, suspended from a bridge above – and others kayaking against aRoyal Dutch Shell icebreaker below. Thirteen activists hung from the St John’s bridge, while another 13 monitored their ropes from above. Then, on Thursday night in Portland, just when the Greenpeacers thought the Shell ship had turned away and they could fend off $2,500-an-hour fines, the authorities came in. The “kayaktivists” were forced aside by the police. The rope monitors were detained, and eventually released. Two rappelling activists willingly lowered themselves, apparently at the urging of the Portland fire bureau, to a “rescue” vessel in the water. A third mid-air protester was removed unwillingly. With only 10 bridge-hangers remaining, Shell’s Fennica vessel snuck through and passed on to the Arctic, where its arrival will start the company’s drilling for oil” (http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/portland-bridge-shell-protest-kayaktivists-fennica-reaction#img-1). “Banner hang: To boldly articulate a demand; to rebrand a target; to provide a message frame or larger than life caption for an action” (12, Boyd and Mitchell). “Blockade: To physically shut down something bad (a coal mine, the World Trade Center Organization); to protect something good (a forest, someone’s home); or to make a symbolic statement, such as encircling a target (The White House)” (14, Boyd and Mitchell)