"Why do you rob banks?"
"Because that's where the money is..."
(attributed to John Dillinger & Willie Sutton, likely apocryphal)
Why did Just Stop Oil target the snooker? Because that's where the cameras are...
To the best of my knowledge there is no direct link between the world of snooker and that of the oil and gas conglomerates (although in the tangled web of corporate ownerships am sure there's a connection somewhere) so why did a protestor attempt to glue themselves to the table and another successfully distribute orange powder over the baize of another like a low budget Oppenheimer special effect? Because they wish to draw attention to their cause and as a rule they have done that with a degree of aplomb.
Cards on the (now distinctly orange) table: I agree with the broad aims of Just Stop Oil (Climate Change is real and curbing greenhouse emissions is vital), I have no qualms about peaceful protest (which I understand Just Stop Oil's actions to be), and frankly I haven't forgiven snooker as a whole for taking the place of Buffy in the BBC 2 schedules all those years ago.
However I do have reservations on stunts that solely raise awareness. I am an inveterate protester (I'm the guy who brings his own megaphone to a demo) and I was once asked 'Why are you always protesting against something?'. Beyond the glib 'There's always something worth protesting against.' it's an eminently fair point. It is not enough to protest against something, it is vital that we offer an alternative in its stead.
To my mind that alternative needs to have a firmer foundation than Just Stop Oil's demand to 'halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.'. It needs to be inextricably bound to investment in green technology, a just transition for workers in the sector, and a host of other related policies.
As the following exchange between myself and a long standing (& excellent) comrade of mine surmised (I will refer to him as Comrade X because frankly wouldn't you if you had the opportunity?):
Comrade X
"Protest is just gonna be much better at getting people on side if it targets/disrupts stuff people hate instead of stuff people love or need."
David
"Not sure there's an event which ticks all those boxes tbf brother. I do think their 'profile' stunts need to be allied closer to more tangible action mind."
Comrade X
"You're right. I suppose my general thought is that they need an idea of who their target audience is and why. I think work needs to be done to make clear why climate and clean environment = a working class issues, most of all..."
(permission was sought and granted before publishing the exchange here)
Again I agree with the broad sentiment but it's almost Problem of Evil levels of intricacy to find a place for protest that simultaneously targets things that people dislike, that they do not need, and in a way that fully articulates the case. The last point made however is unimpeachable. Climate and clean environment is a profoundly working class issue and clearer links do need to be made by those championing those causes.
This has prompted me to look into the differing ways protest occurs and to summarise broadly three sorts of demonstration:
Political Stunts
Drawing attention to a topic. This is almost the full summation of political stunt work. I have been less involved with political stunts than with other forms of demonstration listed in this article. My preference leans towards more collective action but there are still times when I have engaged in such tactics.
Political stunts can range from interrupting sporting events while wearing slogans of your cause, holding impromptu sit ins at corporate headquarters, to staging mock funerals for the NHS (or similar institution or service which is being dismembered by the Conservative Party). The latter event is something I have engaged in and I will say that acquiring a coffin is surprisingly easy if you're in touch with a local theatre.
Political stunts serve to grab the attention of an otherwise disinterested or distracted public. By their very nature they need to have an element of disruption otherwise it's just a photo op with arts and crafts thrown in.
A - B Marches
Gather at a point (almost always in London) and end up in Hyde Park / Parliament Square. En route brandish the placards provided (for a more bespoke placard fashion one yourself - for the protester on a budget print something out and attach to a placard you 'found' on the day...). Chant slogans to bemused tourists, marvel at the array of bands (brass, steel drums, and bhangra often make an appearance), curse the inventor of the vuvuzela as a Deep State psyop (they disrupt chants and they are annoying...), and generally make your presence known. If you possess a megaphone (or a background in theatre or general shouting) you can try and initiate a chant. A rewarding activity if it catches and deeply awkward if it doesn't.
As you near the end dodge the gauntlet of paper sellers from a variety of purveyors of the Fourth International (other Internationals are available) and listen to a variety of speakers explaining exactly why you're gathered here today. For the demos I attend speakers will include workers in respective fields, Trade Union Officials, Labour Party figures, a left leaning celebrity, and similar. In terms of numbers a broad rule of thumb is take the Organiser's Figures and then the Police Figures and then throw the Police Figures over your shoulder because you won't be needing them.
There is a place for A-B marches. They serve as rallying points and literal demonstrations of the strength of feelings on issues but (like every other form of demonstration) they are not an end in and of themselves. The act of recruiting people to join the march is an organising opportunity, engaging people on the march is an organising activity, conducting a post march meeting is an organising activity. They have a place but they are not the end goal.
N.B. For those living outside the M25 and who tend to visit solely to swell the numbers of such events it can come as a surprise on more convivial trips to discover that a vast swathe of London is not in fact pedestrianised.
Counter Demonstrations
Usually called in response to the far right wanting to do a bit of day drinking and intimidation. Local community groups, unions, and political parties of a leftist mien will organise an anti-fascist response. The police will endeavour to restrict both fascists and anti-fascists to designated protest areas. If acceded to by anti-fascists this can reduce proceedings to a form of ritualised theatre which should be avoided at all cost. ¡No pasarán! (They shall not pass) is the rallying call not (as per Google translate) ¡Déjelos pasar con su escolta policial al sitio de su elección y a los (supuestos) pubs designados! (Let them pass with their police escort to the site of their choosing and (alleged) designated pubs).
Far from me to impugn the police (they are currently engaged in doing so themselves and I have little desire to encroach on their jurisdiction) I will report that they have traditionally shown greater alacrity in kettling the antifascist Red Choir (average age 75 and most dangerous item in their possession repeated singings of 'We Shall Overcome' in a range outside of the writer's own) rather than, say, the fascist skinheads stating they want to kick the heads in of the aforementioned Red Choir.
If you find out the Far Right are planning a demonstration in your area and you wish to oppose it (and you really should) get in touch with your union who should be aware of any existing plans. Community groups, faith groups, and similar are also worth a shout. If no plans currently exist then raise it with the afore mentioned groups. If you're a member of the GMB you can cite the conference Motion 161 from GMB Congress 2014 'Combatting the Far Right' which states (amongst other things) that "The GMB will counter the "far right" in every sphere: print, media and presence." I know because I wrote (and moved) the damn thing...
When I lived in Wales in the 2010s some of our anti-fascist demos were against the National Front (which gave proceedings a decidedly retro air) and also against the fash du jour the self proclaimed 'English Defence League' (EDL). Now when the EDL rocked over Offa's Dyke to promulgate their particular brand of racism and bigotry they would do so ostensibly under the guise of the Welsh Defence League (WDL) however they wouldn't leave their St George flags at home...
Now this is not the forum for an involved discussion on the merits of devolution with the respective nations that make up this sceptred isle (and how radical federalism with a dash of Heptarchy if you're feeling spicy may be a way forward) but one thing we can all agree on is that the first object of ire the average Welsh nationalist has is, well, the English. Added to that the general distaste for English Nationalism the EDL entering the capital city of Wales bedecked in the trappings of the nearby subjugator while chanting "We Want Our Country Back" was 'a look' and did little to endear their policies to the locals.
Counter demonstrations assert that fascists and similar do not have the right to march unimpeded. A counter demonstration against fascists is not an assault on freedom of speech it is the physical manifestation of the right of reply - no platform for fascists in any sphere. Turning out against the fash is praxis brothers and sisters.
I have omitted Direct Action as that is less of a form of protest than a tactic to achieve an immediate purpose (although the Venn diagram has overlaps with Counter Demonstrations and Political Stunts) and will have its own article in due course...
So that concludes our whistlestop tour of demonstrations (I'd also ban whistles along with the vuvuzelas on demos as a by the by). I will continue to protest and I will continue to call for change within our political system and society as a whole. I shall do so with a megaphone in my hand on a demonstration, with motions to my union, and with missives written online. Our protests and politics must be one and the same: inclusive, clear and robust.
Why do we protest against the system? Because that's where our freedom is...
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