After reviewing the articles written by Bonilla and Rosa as well as Michael Rosenfeld’s study on the Chicago Bulls riot of 1992 I started to question the effectiveness of protests. All of the readings highlighted specific cases where police brutality was evident causing many Americans to dispute our legal system and demand that officers receive a just punishment for their actions. Although the readings all provided specific examples, I tended to think of protests in a more general sense and analyze the efficacy of hashtag activism and grass roots campaigns. Bonilla and Rosa are very persuasive when conveying the effectiveness of Twitter and how it allows the “average” person to partake and voice their opinion on a matter they feel passionate about. However, there is certainly something to be said about the effectiveness of Twitter and hashtag activism and on the ground protests.
In some ways, hashtag activism fails to facilitate protests. Specifically, millions of users on social media permit the cycle of rumors and potentially false accounts of legal cases. In addition, while Twitter is brilliant when attempting to spread the word about cases such as Ferguson or the #Handsupdontshoot campaigns they may not be as effective as a mass demonstration where people are raising awareness and feel productive with their actions. In Bonilla and Rosa’s article, they report the emotions of a 25-year-old protestor named Johnetta Elzie. She claims, “We saw it with Trayvon Martin. We saw it with Jordan Davis—but I always felt away from everything. Then I saw Brown’s body laying out there, and I said, ‘Damn, they did it again!’ but now that it happened in my home, I’m not just going to tweet about it from the comfort of my bed. So I went down there” (Bonilla and Rosa, 10). Instances like these are what propel me to believe grassroots campaigns are far more effective than hashtag activism and it seems as though the people involved feel the same way. Johnetta felt that Brown’s body laying on the street was the last straw and believed she had to act in a way that more effective than sitting behind a computer. Johnetta felt a moral obligation to get out of her bed and stand for something that she believes in. It is important to note that Johnetta felt she was creating a greater impact by protesting with the masses opposed to voicing her opinions and concerns on Twitter.
Lastly, throughout history we have seen protests on the brink of riots and in some cases tip into spaces of chaos filled with crime and outrage. I am curious to know what is the tipping point where a protest is considered a riot? Is it always because of an increase in violence or does it go deeper than that?
I definitely agree with the thoughts you have raised in this post—it is difficult to place a value on Twitter and other forms of social media activism because they can have both benefits and disadvantages. For me, my inclination is also to think that physical action outside of the world of social media can be a more powerful form of protest, however, thoughts in class raised about events like #MeToo got me thinking a little more deeply. In this specific case, many individuals showed their protest against the prevalence of sexual violence in American society and their support for survivors who had come forward by standing in solidarity. At the same time, social media was also flooded with posts from high profile celebrities, especially male celebrities, also making statements of support. What stuck out to me was the criticism many of these posts received for being insincere, and questioning what these men and other individuals were really doing to end misogynistic behavior in society. This would suggest that social media activism is often not enough for people. However, I think it is also hard to disentangle the effects of having such widespread recognition of a movement from the effects that followed (more people coming forward, more media coverage, greater emphasis placed on this important issue). Looking back on our discussion about forms of protest, it seems like hashtag activism could fall under the category of the emergent norm theory. For example, in the #MeToo movement, the phrase was started by activist Tarana Burke and promoted by a few high-profile celebrities before it became a widespread phenomenon. In this way, can we understand these people as online keynoters that promote new norms (like publicizing support for survivors), which then become behaviors that individuals can choose to follow? If this is true, and we believe the emergent norm theory is an effective way to explain protests, then it seems to me that social media could be the most effective platform, since it can reach the most people to establish a new norm of behavior. In regard to concerns over genuine participation in protest over social media, I think there can be equally insincere performances of protest/activism/support in physical spaces (I’m thinking of an article I read in another class about the ‘Walk a Mile in her Shoes’ movements, and the insincere performances of some of the men participating), so perhaps social media should not be faulted for this aspect. What’s more, we have already debated the validity of communities formed online, and perhaps protest groups formed over social media can constitute some sort of community, and I think this could reinforce the power of the protest in some ways. Moving forward, it seems social media will remain an important part of our everyday lives and the way we communicate with those around us, so it is very important to consider the value in these platforms.
Having written a similar post to Liam, it is definitely interesting to think about the #MeToo movement in comparison to my personal opinion that social media activism is not that effective. We have seen so many women finally come out and accuse the men who sexually assaulted them. Many men have been fired because of the accusals. This movement was started via social media and more and more women are gaining the confidence they need to publicize their assaulter. This movement has had more success than other social media movements because it does not involve government action. While it may involve the justice system at some point, this movement is a success because it is giving women the confidence they need to try to seek justice.