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Do Protests Still Work?

Controversy, crowds and a six meter high balloon of President Trump as a baby: Are protests a vital part of the drama of democracy or a relic of an analogue age?

Donald Trump has arrived in England but he's not getting the red carpet treatment a US president might expect. Big protests are planned in London, featuring a march to Trafalgar Square and a six metre high balloon of Donald Trump as a snarling orange baby. The protests may let people vent their feelings about the US president’s controversial style and policies, but few expect much change as a result. So, while protests still occupy a prominent place in the drama of democracy, do they really achieve anything anymore?

How have cultural forces and social media changed the way protests are organised? And can non-violent protests still force elected politicians to change?

Presenter: Ritula Shah

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sat 14 Jul 2018 03:06GMT

Contributors

L.A. KauffmanΒ - the author ofΒ  'Direct Action: Protest and the Invention of American Radicalism'

David Graeber - Professor at the London School of Economics

Fatima ShabodienΒ - Country Director of Action Aid South Africa

Dana FisherΒ - Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland

Also featuring:

Kevin Smith - One of the creators of 'Trump baby balloon'

Salah Mustafa - Former Tahrir square protesterΒ 

Photo

Six metre Trump Baby balloon by Getty Images/Andrew Aitchison.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 13 Jul 2018 08:06GMT
  • Fri 13 Jul 2018 17:06GMT
  • Fri 13 Jul 2018 23:06GMT
  • Sat 14 Jul 2018 03:06GMT

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