Protesting/Protesting (April Fools 2008)
NEWSFLASH: You can get your own CAPER t-shirt and make a statement against making statements any day of the year- check out http://www.printfection.com/bostonsos!
(video also available at YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0FfQZowXIoc)
RECAP:
On Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 nearly 20 improveratti showed up at 5:15pm in Harvard Square under the threat of rain with homemade signs and the opinion people should keep their opinions to themselves.
In our April Fool's performance we would be portraying the radical members of a fake political action committee called Citizens Against Protests, Rallies, & Expression; That's C.A.P.E.R. for short. Get it?! Caper!
C.A.P.E.R decided to hold a protest in a spot known for protests. Nearly every issue has been protested on Harvard Square- except one. Protests. Yes- we protested protests.
AgentEm developed some chants for our rally to cry out to the passing public at rush hour- here are a few of them:
- No Assembly Required!
- We Want Quiet, not a Riot!
- No Cause is Good Cause!
- No One Cares What You Think!
- We're NOT Gonna PROTEST!
- No Change to Spare!
- Silence not Stridence!
- Decide to be Satisfied!
- Expression is Depression!
- Public Scenes are a Waste of Time!
People immediately took notice of the chanters and gave us many confused looks. A lot of people laughed- a lot of people just walked on by as though we didn't exist. "Another protest", they probably thought.
A couple of us walked around the square to collect signatures. Signatures for a ballot to ban public signature collecting. We actually collected over an entire page's worth! Most people laughed as they signed our ridiculous, self defeating petition. A couple were not comfortable with such radical ideas.
One woman approached the group, "What are you protesting? ...you're protesting protesting?"
James: "Yeah"
Woman: "You're protesting protesting?"
James: "Yep"
Woman: "I don't get it."
James: "Well, we're also collecting signatures-"
Woman: "But I don't get it so..."
James: "We're trying to get some legislation passed that will make protesting and rallying illegal..."
Woman: "But you're protesting this- with that law you wouldn't be able to do this."
James: "That doesn't make any sense."
Woman: "You're protesting right now! You're protesting protesting. I don't understand."
James: [motions to the protesters now shouting "protesters suck!"] "See, this is really annoying, and we feel this shouldn't be allowed."
Woman: "Oh, I think I get it- you are trying to ban protesting by showing how annoying protesting is..."
James: "Well not just protesting- other kinds of expression as well- I mean if I don't agree with someone else's opinion I shouldn't have to listen to it- so we'd like to make it illegal to talk in public as well."
Woman: "Really?!"
James: [shows woman petition to ban public signature collecting] "Will you sign our petition?"
Woman: "No!"
James: [glum] "Ok..."
Woman: "I don't understand- you're protesting protesting- but you're protesting!"
James: "...yeah but it's different..."
Woman: "It's not different! You're protesting protesting by protesting! I don't get it!"
James: "Well ok..."
Woman: [sympathetic] "I just don't understand- I'm just trying to understand."
James: "You don't have to agree with our cause..."
Woman: "So you're protesting protests- is it all protests? Even this one?"
James: "Yes."
Woman: "Ok..."
James: "You wanna join?"
Woman: "Yes- can I have a sign?"
The patient good sport took a sign, waved it around, and led a wave of chants much to all our delight. She then confided, "This is the biggest oxymoron I've ever participated in!"
SUCCESS!
Thanks to everyone who came out under the threat of rain! You are all troopers and really showed some great energy! I was really impressed. I wish it could have lasted a bit longer but at risk of appearing to mock the other protesters who showed up with a valid cause we of course had to cut it short. Still it was far more successful than I could have hoped- especially being only 9.5 minutes long. The woman who was arguing with me about our purpose was really serious- I couldn't believe it when she took the sign and joined in! So amazing!
Also your signs and stories were hilarious! I loved the chants AgentEm came up with for us- they really gave me a good laugh.
A couple people got stuck in traffic and what not and didn't arrive till we had just finished. I felt just awful about that so I think we'll have to give this another go same time next year!
Great event! Unfortunately, the masses seem to be too ignorant of the sociopolitical impact protests make.
Either that, or most people are just ignorant to April Fools day.
It was really cool that we actually engaged some people in the discussion of the validity of the cause, and got some bystanders to sign the petition AND hold a sign!
it was awesome-- though short.
i wasn't involved in any debates with the passing pedestrians but i definitely got a few raised eyebrows and weird looks!
some girls who paused "i guess it sort of makes sense"
That was really fun. My sign was the "honk is you hate protests" sign. Unfortunatly only two people actually honked. It was a little awkward when the real protest showed up because I'm sure none of use is actually against freeing Tibet.
That's me with the 'Think of the Children' sign. I was so disappointed that no bystanders asked what I meant, because I had a long, detail explanation about why protests and rallys hurt children. Ah well, maybe next year.
it was a great story- i got it on camera and will be sure to put it in the video ^_^
UGHHH... me and my two friends hiked it to harvard square and the second we got off the train we got a text from you guys saying we missed it :( sorry guys!
but if it makes you feel better we had shirts on that said "guns don't kill people, protests kill people!" :D
haha great shirts- sorry you missed it. it was cut very short due to a real protest showing up. save the shirts for next year's protest against protests!
I absolutely love this idea - protesting against protesting is very amusing, and I think you pulled it off very well.
Still, a tip to the one who edited the video - turn down the music a bit when people are talking, will you? I could hardly make out half of what was said, which was sad, because I'm sure it was quite hilarious.
(Or you could subtitle the video if the audio is very bad and that's the reason you turned up the music so much.)
Anyway, all in all - a very good show! Cheers!
yeah, it was crap audio- one of our mics mysteriously disappeared the day of shooting- hopefully next year everything will be quite clear- you can read a transcript of part of what was said in the writeup :-)