ɫèAV

In the last few years there have been lots of protest movements all over the world. From anti-fascist marches, to support for transgender rights, and greater awareness of the climate crisis, people have been taking to the streets and advocating for the change they want to see.

For young people, these protest movements can be complicated to understand. Learning about how peaceful protests work can teach students how to participate in a civil society. It encourages them to develop skills in communication, organisation, and problem solving, as well as engage with the environment and their community – all important for future global citizens.

Introducing peaceful protest movements

Here are some tips for talking to your teenage students about peaceful protest movements.

1. Share examples of peaceful protests

There have been a number of peaceful protests throughout history – all which can highlight to your students how peaceful protests work. Some good examples to explore with students are:

Standing Rock protests, US, 2016-2017

Led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, thousands of people orchestrated blockades and social media campaigns to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline construction through sacred tribal lands. Protesters held prayer ceremonies and educational events to raise awareness about potential water contamination and land destruction.

Reclaim the Night marches, UK, 1970s-now

These women-led protests have been taking place for more than 50 years, and demand the right for women to walk safely at night without fear of sexual harassment, assault or violence. They are typically organised as marches in the dark, complete with singing, signs, and speeches.

Anti-Tourism protests, Spain, 2017-now

Residents in Barcelona, Mallorca and other popular Spanish destinations are protesting overtourism and gentrification. The protests involve marches, campaigns about tourism’s impact and community meetings and petitions.

MMIWG campaign, Canada, 2015-now

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) campaign is an ongoing movement to highlight disproportionate violence against Indigenous women and girls. It got media attention for its red dresses that represent missing women. The campaign also uses memorial walks, education and art installations to inform the public and pressure governments to protect vulnerable populations.

The School Strike for Climate, UK, 2019-now

‘Fridays for the Future’ are peaceful demonstrations where students across the UK and other countries march with signs to promote greater climate action. The peaceful protests have pushed governments and local councils to declare new environmental measures.

With the examples you choose, try to find common elements across the peaceful protests. What structure do they follow? How are they maintained? Has anything had to change in modern settings to ensure protests remain peaceful? What tools do the protestors use to spread their message?

2. Clearly define terms

Keep in mind the language people use to talk about the protest and its aims.

Your students may assume that protests only happen when people are angry and passionate, but by knowing the terms that describe a peaceful protest, they will be equipped to differentiate between peaceful activism and more disruptive forms of protest.

Terms that are useful to focus on include:

• Civil disobedience – Nonviolent but intentional lawbreaking to raise awareness around injustice. For example, exceeding public noise levels or congregating in restricted areas to protest a new law that restricts freedom of movement.
• Direct action – Rather than asking others (e.g. politicians) to make changes, direct action is when people take matters into their own hands for a faster solution. An example is when communities remove offensive or divisive signs in their neighbourhood.
• Art vandalism – Damaging art or cultural objects in order to deliver a message. For instance, environmental group Just Stop Oil threw soup at the Mona Lisa painting to drive home its mission of ending fossil fuel use.
• Traffic disruption – Temporarily blocking paths, roads or transport lines as a form of protest. The idea is to cause friction in people’s everyday lives, so more people notice and understand the reason for the protest.
• Activism – Organising people and events to bring about social, political, or environmental change. Activism can range from writing letters to participating in demonstrations or lobbying for policy changes.
• Protest encampment – Protestors who temporarily live and protest in a place. These encampments often include tents and signs, and can last for days, weeks or months. Occupy Wall Street saw protestors stay in New York City’s financial district for 59 days.
• Protest demands – The specific results that protesters want to achieve. These demands help organise groups of supporters and tell changemakers exactly what is being requested.

3. Link protests to everyday injustices

Students can make the most sense of concepts when they relate to real-world experiences. Talk with your students about common scenarios that relate to protests or social justice.

For example, you could talk about whether your school has good access for students with disabilities. Can everyone – regardless of their capabilities – easily get around the school grounds? Why is diversity and inclusion important? What can students do to highlight areas that are inaccessible in a peaceful way?

Looking beyond the school, do students notice that some businesses in their community hire more men than women? Why could that be? What do women need more of to be represented equally in those places? Host a discussion where students suggest non-aggressive ways to create a gender equilibrium.

Students could also consider pollution in their hometown. Are there government initiatives to reduce it? What damage is it doing? Who is most vulnerable to the effects of pollution? Taking inspiration from public figures like Greta Thunberg, students could come up with a list of the long-term impacts of pollution on different communities, and why those people need extra voices to be protected.

Making these parallels helps students see that peaceful protests are connected to acts of fairness and courage, and empowers them to protest in a calm manner.

4. Role play

Beyond talking about peaceful protests, you could get students to act out mock protests in a safe, structured environment. Each student takes on a different role within a group (e.g. protest organiser, participant, police officer) and you assign each group a topic that they have to peacefully protest against (vegetarianism and school uniforms are a good place to start).

To prepare for the mock protest, students can make signs and banners, come up with songs or slogans, and plan where their protest will start and what form it will take. You could show them video examples of peaceful protests to give them going. You also might suggest that part of the process is writing letters ahead of the protest to government and community officials who will need to know about the event.

Once the protest has happened, ask students to reflect on what went well, and what they had some difficulty with. Focus on the specific ways that protest was peaceful, and how different conditions could threaten that.

For a more bitesized taste of peaceful protests, get students to design petitions for an injustice they feel passionate about. Ask them where they would share it, with whom, and why their design would be effective. Discuss what successful results would look like for the petition. Likewise, you could have them create email campaigns, open letters or social media strategies to protest their chosen causes.

The power of peaceful protests

Understanding peaceful protests doesn’t just connect students with world politics – it equips them with key skills to effectively and calmly make change. In short, it allows them to be the next generation of peaceful protesters and continue a society where dialogue can prevent injustices.

Further reading

Find out more ways to build social awareness and action among your class. Learn more about our Global Politics IB Diploma course, and discover how to navigate teaching and talking to students about the world.

Sign up to your free 60-day trial or download a free sample chapter.

Ìý