Pictures of Protest

Demonstrations around the world.

As 2013 shapes up to be one of those global years of protest that history periodically produces, The Atlantic publishes a striking photoessay of demonstrations, all drawn from just the last few weeks. The images come from everywhere from Bulgaria to Chile to Indonesia; among other things, we learn that the use of Guy Fawkes masks has now spread as far as Thailand. Check out the pictures here.

Comments

[John]

It is going to be interesting watching the media react to an actual protest movement in the US. The media loves the idea of fighting the power. But in reality are totally wedded to the power structure of this country and will do anything to defend it. Watching the media twist itself into knots explaining how "these protesters are different and not real" is going to be funny.

[Rasilio]

Well they'll be a bit more tolerant of it should a Republican be in office in 2 years

[Paul.]

No, the media don't love the idea of fighting power. They like the idea of opposing an administration, or a president, or a particular group of legislators, but they're perfectly fine with power for its own sake.

When was the last time the media, en masse, railed against big government? Or let's lower our bar a little bit. When was the last time the Media didn't suggest regulation for a random social problem?

[Gladstone]

So why are people shocked that the media isn't a watchdog. Pretty hard to oppose the government when you want to increase its power.

[invisible furry hand]

Future historians will conclude that the global revolution of 2015 was launched by Alan Moore's snake-god.

And who's to say they're wrong?

[Rasilio]

I actually think there may be something to that, not that V for Vendetta will be the cause but the movies release coupled with Anonymous's adoption of the Guy Fawkes mask as the symbol of fighting oppression really did cause that theme of fighting centralized power to take off globally.

[Sevo]

Dunno, folks. Got a hard time feeling sympathetic for about half the people in the photos.
Riding a bike naked in a fountain to protest 'car-centered streets?
Like democracy, protest qua protest isn't worth crap; it's a means that might be put to good use. Might.

[Jesse Walker]

I think my sympathy rate is higher than 50%, though I didn't do a formal count. Anyway, yes, a wide range of causes and tactics are represented here, and you should not take this post as an endorsement of every single one of them.

[SIV]

Not the homo-erotic BDSM animal rights protest?

[Scarecrow Repair]

It is an interesting conflict. I like upsetting the powers that be, but too many of these protestors just want more free stuff. Of course, they only demand it from the government because the government controls it, but it sure would be refreshing to just once see protestors demanding that the government give up its control of some resource, not just redirect it.

[SIV]

They left out the best one.

[invisible furry hand]

Goddamn, I hate people using kids for political protests. And having a little girl hold a sign about getting fucked is just... urgh, Jesus, have people no sense of propriety?

[mad libertarian guy]

Goddamn, I hate people using kids for political protests.

Yes. I don't care what message you're trying to send, leave your fucking kids out of it, you low class fucks.

[Sevo]

'have SOME people no sense of propriety?'
No.
I drive by the local Dept of Ed from time to time, and often enough there are sleazy teacher's union thugs parading kids around on the side walk.
I'm hoping one day a kid will trip one into traffic.

[Zeb]

Or do you mean "yes".

[Sevo]

You are correct.

[Fluffy]

The Egyptian army is now shooting pro-Morsi demonstrators down in the streets.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s.....5-09-55-01

It will be interesting to see if the world press treats dead Muslim Brotherhood protestors the way they would have treated gunned-down anti-Morsi protestors.

[Tim]

I'd suspect the US signed off on this coup with some sort of "no bloodbath" clause. Going to create a civil war.

[mad libertarian guy]

Guy Fawkes: the new Che of the left.

They denigrate capitalism and the free market, and in their struggle against it, they will wear a GF mask they bought from a capitalist.

Fucking idiots.

They have no clue that after their glorious revolution, they will be the first to be put to death as a threat to the state.

[Gweskoyen]

Oy vey.

The protesters don't idolize Guy Fawkes, they idolize V, an anarchist character.

If an anarchist revolution succeeds, there will be no state who can execute people.

Of course, GF masks were popularized by Anonymous, which has ideological ties to crypto-anarchism, which is a specialized form of anarcho-capitalism.

They are not the stereotypical socialist you imagine in your head. You could have known that, if you did a little bit of googling.

[Acosmist]

But not too much googling, because then you'd find out how truly despicable Anonymous is.

So, just the right amount of googling.

[Zeb]

I kind of get the sense that Anonymous is pretty much whoever wants to use the name at the time and as such are sometimes despicable and sometimes not, depending on who is doing what.

[Sevo]

Sort of like the protesters shown in the link.

[Gweskoyen]

"Despicable" is not really a descriptive concept you can decide with empirical analysis, you know.

What exactly do you despise about Anoymous? C'mon, don't be shy.

(Btw, you will find that I did not make a value judgment about Anonymous. It just pisses me off when people lazily categorize something in non-applicable political grids.)

[Rasilio]

I don't think as many people are influenced by the comic as the movie and in the movie V was much more an an anti Fascist than he was an outright anarchist

He didn't seem to have much if any position on what sort of world should evolve out of his revolution just that the world that existed at the time was wrong and needed to be torn down.

[mad libertarian guy]

So your argument is that the "anarchists" around the world in Guy Fawkes masks who are protesting their governments taking away their free cheese want a stateless society? Or that all of these folks are somehow part of "Anonymous?"

If so, you need a new one.

[Gweskoyen]

Your reading comprehension skills are very low.

If you think that GF mask = OMFG SOCIALIZT!!!1ONE!, you have a surprisingly non-existent grasp of ideological complexity for someone frequenting a libertarian site.

[Paul.]

I guess what I find the most deflating after reading the captions on the pictures-- and this is based upon my interpretation-- is how little protesting is going on around the world for freedom. Most of the protests are looking for free healthcare, free education, or fighting the closure of a government mouthpiece (broadcaster).

Anyone else get the same feeling?

[Gladstone]

Didn't know so many people want a Catholic Absolutist Monarchy.