Frameshop: 3 Steps to Better Protests

[Tuesday_Morning]

by Jeffrey Feldman

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/30/13158/3261

3 Easy Ways To Make Today's Anti-War Protests More Effective

Today's anti-war protests are sprawling, massive and unfocused. The goal of these protests is to rally the public, pressure the government, and end the war. But without focus, they do not have that impact.


Here are 3 easy ways to focus today's anti-war protests--to make them clearer, better and more effective.

Jeffrey Feldman's diary :: ::
Step 1: Pick One Color
What color is an anti-war protests? That may seem like a strange question, but the first key to making today's anti-war protests better is to pick a color and stick with it. Why? Because war protests in an age where politics are dominated by broadcast media need to be seen and the best protests are those that pick a unified color so that their numbers--however large or small--can be seen from every possible angle, but most importantly: by the video camera. So far, the most dominant color of the current anti-war movement is pink. Code Pink may or may not be America's favorite protest organization, but they are the most consistently colorful. But I suggest we pick green--the color of the Statue of Liberty--as the color of the national anti-war movement.

other ideas at link: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/30/13158/3261

[mdmc]

1. i like the idea of a primary color

:kick:

[readmoreoften]

2. Green? Egads. Slogan, I have some suggestions.

Green is for St. Patricks day.

I say BLACK or RED. The color of fear or the color of blood. Both gender neutral in the cultural conscience.

Blue would be okay because of "blue states" but there might be too much variation in light or dark blue. There is no "light red".

For a slogan, End Iraq War is clunky and without syntax.

I suggest NO WAR NOW! It can also carry over to when we are protesting the Iran War. (You know, the war that happens right before humanity ends.)

I'm okay with open hands up. I prefer fists, but I realize that's not for everyone.

A sea of red.
NO WAR NOW!
1 million hands raised.
Could be good.

[Tuesday_Morning]

3. The immigrant marches tomorrow

ask that everyone wear white t-shirts.

Very visual.

[Warpy]

4. I tried bugging antiwar folks a couple of years ago

to do the neat and consistent thing and they all acted like I'd told them to march against free speech, apple pie and motherhood.

Good luck to you and the Red Sox.

Like it or not, one of the things that gets the antiwar movement dismissed as fringe types is DRESS. Too many people out there overreact to visual cues. I'm not suggesting dressing like bankers, I'm suggesting dark pants and neat shirts without advertising or wit on them. Coordinating the colors would be a good idea, differentiate demonstrators from gawkers and media.

Cutoffs and heavy metal T-shirts just aint doing it for us, folks. Maybe it's time to try something new.

You think?