POWER TO THE PEOPLE

PROGRAMME 2: F TO J

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

Teachers should be familiar with relevant guidance on how to deal with controversial issues (see Links) before using the programme. They should also decide in advance whether to view it in its entirety or in parts.

The activities below support a mix of individual, paired and group work. You may wish to revisit the outcomes of the 'before viewing' activities once learners have seen the programme.

Before viewing

List a) the reasons why people protest and b) the methods that they use. Review your lists and identify the top three items in each. Justify your choices. What would you be prepared to protest about and which methods would you use?

Discuss one or more of the following:

• People protest because they think that they can change the world
• A democracy cannot survive without protests
• Demonstrations take a lot of time and energy but they don't achieve very much
• Consumers have the power to change what businesses do
• A protest is only as successful as the amount of media coverage that it gets
• Protestors should not break the law
• All protest movements need an image or symbol as a public reminder of their objectives.

After viewing

To view 4Learning video clips you will need Windows XP/2000 and Windows Media Player 9, 10 or 11. Unfortunately, the clips are not supported on Macintosh computers.

The video clips may contain a few seconds of extra material at the beginning and end. We have therefore included opening and closing descriptions to help identify the intended scene.

Clip one: Fan power 01:35 – 04:05

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'The fans got together to try and stop the takeover, protesting in a number of different ways.'
• Closes with Hugh Ferris saying, 'That, I think, was very much against the spirit of what the fans had been trying to do, prior to that, with their peaceful protest.'

Describe what the Manchester United fans were trying to do and the protest methods that they used. How did these methods help the fans to achieve their objectives? Why do you think that their protests failed to stop the takeover? Imagine that you want to stop the takeover of a successful sports club with a large fan base. Make a list of the people and organisations that you would need to influence and the methods that you would use to help them understand your point of view. Share and discuss your ideas.

Clip two: Globalisation 07:12 – 10:29

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'Rich and Nicola were among several hundred thousand demonstrators who went to Genoa, in 2001, to protest outside the G8 summit.'
• Closes with Rich saying, 'If we're afraid to protest, then their strategy and the strategy of the police in Genoa and so on has been successful.'

Explain why Rich and Nicola were protesting outside the G8 summit in Genoa, and why the atmosphere was tense when they arrived. Who was responsible for the violent end to the protest? Working in pairs or small groups, discuss and chart the action that anti-globalisation protestors and security services might take at the next summit. What effect might their actions have on each other? Share and discuss your ideas.

Clip three: Human rights 10:37 – 12:35

• Opens with Shami saying, 'For the first time, we have to ask permission in writing of a senior police officer if we want to organise a demonstration near the Mother of all Parliaments.'
• Closes with Nick Ferrari saying, 'I believe you should be allowed as many banners as you can actually touch as you extend your hands.'

List the points that Shami Chakrabarti, Brian Haw and Nick Ferrari make about the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Who do you agree with most, and why? Should there be any limits on people's right to freedom of expression and protest in a democratic society? Do you believe that there is any truth in the statement, 'We are so obsessed about protecting people's human rights that we forget about the victims'? Share and discuss your ideas.

Clip four: Iconography 14:23 – 17:06

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'I is for iconography.'
• Closes with Rebekka Kill saying, 'And often it's just one person's voice of protest.'

Generate a list of the images and symbols that you associate with protest movements. Select the image that you find most powerful and explain your choice. Using the internet and other resources, research the image and its use by protestors. Present and discuss your findings.

Clip five: John and Yoko 19:52 – 22:28

• Opens with John Lennon saying, 'It's a bed-in folks.'
• Closes with John Robb saying, 'There's no subtlety there, you know.'

List the things that made John and Yoko's peace protest stand out from other peace protests at the time. Which of the items on your list appear in successful protests nowadays? Imagine that you are a member of a protest group that is running a celebrity bed-in. Answer the following questions:

• What is your protest about?
• Which celebrities are taking part and why?
• What is your slogan (perhaps a chant, or protest-song chorus)?
• How are you attracting media attention?
• How is your protest influencing the people that you want to influence?