The start of the 21st century has seen the world shaken by protests, from the Arab Spring to the Yellow Vests, from the Occupy movement to the social uprisings in Latin America. There are periods in history when large numbers of people have rebelled against the way things are, demanding change, such as in 1848, 1917, and 1968. Today we are living in another time of outrage and discontent, a time that has already produced some of the largest protests in world history. This book analyzes almost three thousand protests that occurred between 2006 and 2020 in 101 countries covering over 93 per cent of the world population. The study focuses on the major demands driving world protests, such as those for real democracy, jobs, public services, social protection, civil rights, global justice, and those against austerity and corruption. It also analyzes who was demonstrating in each protest; what protest methods they used; who the protestors opposed; what was achieved; whether protests were repressed; and trends such as inequality and the rise of women’s and radical right protests. The book concludes that the demands of protestors in most of the protests surveyed are in full accordance with human rights and internationally agreed-upon UN development goals. The book calls for policy-makers to listen and act on these demands.
Author(s): Isabel Ortiz, Sara Burke, Mohamed Berrada, Hernán Saenz Cortés
Edition: 1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 201
Tags: International Relations Theory
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Authors
Acronyms
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
1 Background
2 Methodology
3 Organization of the Book
References
2 An Analysis of World Protests 2006–2020
1 The World Awakens: Protests Increase 2006–2020
2 Main Grievances/Demands
3 Grievances/Demands on Failure of Political Representation and Political Systems
3.1 Real Democracy
3.2 Corruption
3.3 Justice
3.4 Sovereignty and Patriotic Issues
3.5 Transparency and Accountability
3.6 A “Deep Government”/Oligarchy
3.7 Anti-war Protests/Anti Military-Industrial Complex
3.8 Citizen Surveillance
3.9 Anti-socialism and Anti-communism
4 Grievances/Demands on Economic Justice/Anti-austerity
4.1 Jobs, Higher Wages and Labor Conditions
4.2 Reform of Public Services
4.3 Corporate Influence/Deregulation/Privatization
4.4 Inequality
4.5 Tax/Fiscal Justice
4.6 Low Living Standards
4.7 Agrarian/Land Reform
4.8 Fuel and Energy Prices
4.9 Pension Reforms
4.10 Housing
4.11 Food Prices
5 Grievances/Demands on Civil Rights
5.1 Ethnic/Indigenous/Racial Justice
5.2 Right to the Commons
5.3 Deny Rights to Groups
5.4 Freedom of Assembly/Speech/Press
5.5 Women’s/Girls’ Rights
5.6 Labor Rights
5.7 LGBT/Sexual Rights
5.8 Immigrants’ Rights
5.9 Personal Freedoms
5.10 Prisoners’ Rights
5.11 Religious Rights
6 Grievances/Demands for Global Justice
6.1 Environment/Climate Justice
6.2 Anti-international Financial Institutions
6.3 Anti-imperialism
6.4 Anti-free Trade
6.5 Global Commons
6.6 Anti-G20
7 Who Protests?
7.1 Main Groups Leading Protests 2006–2020: From NGOs and Trade Unions to Hackers
7.2 Greater Grassroots Participation
8 Number of Demonstrators
8.1 Some of the Largest Protests in History
8.2 Protests and Civic Space
9 Methods of Protest
9.1 Marches and Protest Assemblies/Rallies
9.2 Blockades, Occupations and Civil Disobedience/Direct Action
9.3 Strikes and Walkouts
9.4 Vandalism/Looting
9.5 Internet Activism and Whistleblowing/Leaks
9.6 Pot-Banging/Noisemaking, Street Music, Educational Events
9.7 Boycotts and Legal/Paralegal Methods
9.8 Hunger Strikes and Self-Inflicted Violence
10 Who Do Protesters Oppose?
10.1 Governments
10.2 Political/Economic System
10.3 Corporations/Employers
10.4 Elites
10.5 Political Parties
10.6 Military/Police
10.7 The European Union and European Central Bank (ECB)
10.8 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank
10.9 Financial Sector
10.10 The United States of America
11 What Do Protests Achieve?
12 Violence, Repression, and Surveillance
12.1 Limited but Increasing Protestors’ Violence
12.2 Increasing Repression and Surveillance of Protestors: Arrests, Injuries, and Deaths
References
3 Selected Key Issues in World Protests
1 Rising Populism and Radical Right Protests
1.1 From Left-Wing to Far-Right Populist Protests
1.2 Weaponizing Protests
2 Inequality
2.1 Inequality and Protests
2.2 Protests and the Perception That Governments Serve a Few
3 Protesting Against Corruption
4 Fighting for Women’s Rights
5 From the Arab Spring to the Latin America Spring: Ignored Economic Demands Lead to Political Dissent
6 Protests, Human Rights and Development Policies: What Governments Can Do
References
4 Conclusions
Reference
Annexes
Annex A: Methodology
Statistical Definitions and Computations
Taxonomy
Main Grievances and Their Subcategories
Annex B: 250 Methods of Non-Violent Protests
Annex C: Main World Protest 2006–2020
Main References
Index
