Unpublished Essays

A User’s Guide to the Protest Sign
Padraic Kenney Padraic Kenney

A User’s Guide to the Protest Sign

So you are going to a protest rally. Maybe you are someone who never misses any protest, feeling at home in the organized crowd. Or maybe you have finally gotten up the courage and the frustration to step out in public. The protest rally is for most people the most available and easiest entry into the contemporary political sphere. It asks very little of the participant. You can join in chants or not, you can listen to speeches or just enjoy the time outdoors with like-minded people. There is safety in a crowd, and a reinforcement of the beliefs and concerns that motivated you to set aside some time. But have you thought about the sign you will carry?

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