Instead of holding a minute of silence on May 17, why not have a Minute of Noise to Shout Against Hate? This would help people unleash emotions and make themselves heard rather than staying silent!
Activists who have participated in these events report that the atmosphere can become electric—much more than they had imagined—revealing the hidden (or, until then, silent) power of collective passion for change.
It’s also an effortless (and free) event to organise, especially on short notice, and can be easily added to other actions around IDAHOT Day (for example, at the start or end of a march or a full day of community actions).
Some ways to increase the noise include blowing whistles, beating drums, banging on pots and pans (or other everyday household objects), singing or shouting in chorus, using megaphones, microphones, or a stereo, or bringing along your musical instrument of choice.
One Minute Noise in Budapest, Hungary from IDAHOT 2014 by Transvanilla
It could also be held in a local or private space, such as a community centre, perhaps as an icebreaker before other events! Or you could have it in a public space (in a city square or outside a state building), or as part of a community show or performance for May 17, encouraging the audience to raise their voices in concert.
The atmosphere could obviously be fun, but it could also be solemn—with people really venting their emotions and shouting from the heart. After all, this action aims to unleash and channel people’s anger and hurt about injustice into something positive, vocal, and collective.
One Minute Noise could also take the form of a (filmed) flash mob, where one person starts, and then others – seemingly randomly – join in. After a while, hundreds of people will have joined in a massive Shout Against Hate!
CLAP AWAY
Belarus, considered the last dictatorship in Europe, is a prettytrickyt place to mobilise. Protests aren’t exactly encouraged by the government, so people found a new way to express discontent: gathering together in a square and clapping.
They weren’t protesting, just clapping. Tactics like this don’t need signs, equipment, or specialist expertise, so they can also be used to get around security issues in more oppressive contexts. Anyone can get involved, and seeing authorities stop people from clapping would only prove your point.
BANG DICTATORSHIP DOWN
Towards the end of Milosevic’s presidency, many Serbians were getting fed up with his grip on power and the alleged corruption that plagued the government. However, protesting and getting the message out there was difficult, so they came up with their barrel idea to mock their leader and put the authorities in an impossible position.
They asked people to donate a coin to Milosevic’s retirement fund. In exchange, they could hit the barrel, with an image of Milosevic, with a baton. The police later took the barrel away, but it was too late. The group then issued a press statement that the funds had been collected, playing into the idea that Milosevic would retire. This clever tactic was a win-win for campaigners, who used humour and political satire to push for change.
HONK AT POWER
In Lebanon, restrictions make protests difficult, but that did not stop some Lebanese activists. They gathered around the parliamentary building and carried out a disruptive protest: honking small horns!
Big banners and signs might put activists at risk of detention or make it easier for cops to stop the protest. Small and inexpensive tools, like a horn, can help get more people involved and make it much harder for authorities to stop you.
While noise is effective, silence remains a powerful tool for protest!
After police violently evicted protesters from Gezi Park, Turkish choreographer Erdem Gunduz took to the streets to stand alone in Taksim Square, Istanbul, on June 17, 2013. This quickly went viral on Twitter and, within hours, hundreds had joined him in silent solidarity. Turkish police later cleared the square and arrested several demonstrators. The next day, hundreds more came back.
The idea is really simple: people can get together on May 17 in a public space not to explicitly hold a ‘protest’, ‘demonstration’, or ‘march’ but to stand still and/or talk to one another. After all, it would be outrageous if police clamp down on people who are #JustTalkin, right? Learn more about it here.
