049 camouflaged meetings of protest

methods of nonviolent protest and persuasion public assemblies
049 camouflaged meetings of protest banner

"Under certain political conditions gatherings of protest may be held under the (sometimes undisguised) pretense that the gathering is for some other more legal and approved purpose. (Sometimes everyone may be aware of the pretense.) This may happen when the regime is a relatively moderate type of tyranny, neither liberal enough to allow open meetings of protest nor tyrannical enough to act ruthlessly against persons attending a gathering which is ostensibly legal and approved, although the real purpose of the gathering may be well understood. Camouflaged meetings of protest may take various forms. For example, the meeting may occur under the auspices of an organization which has some totally different and quite innocent purpose, such as sport, amusement, art or religion. Or the gathering may take the form of a social affair. For example, on several occasions in France in 1847 and 1848, when meetings of open protest were not permitted, camouflaged meetings of protest were held under the pretense that they were banquets. The Gauche Dynastique and their moderate republican allies sought to mobilize public opinion to force government action against famine conditions by launching, in Paris and the provinces, a successful “campaign of banquets,” beginning on July 9, 1847. The last of the banquets, which had been planned by others in 1848, was forbidden by the government, a ban which helped to precipitate the 1848 Revolution.244"...

((Sharp, Gene. The Politics of Nonviolent Action (p. 191). Albert Einstein Institution. Kindle Edition.))

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125 boycott of government employment and positions

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016 picketing

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008 banners posters and displayed communications

banners posters and displayed communications

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015 group lobbying

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009 leaflets pamphlets and books

leaflets pamphlets and books

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High scoring campaigns using this method

Historical cases from the Nonviolent Action Database that used this method

Norwegian workers, women campaign for independence from Sweden, 1905

10.0/10

The kingdom of Denmark ruled Norway until May 1814, when Sweden defeated Denmark in the Napoleonic Wars. On 4 November 1814, Sweden took control of Norway, and the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway shared a Swedish monarch. Still, Norway retained ...

Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo campaign for democracy and the return of their “disappeared” family members, 1977-1983

8.0/10

Following a coup that ousted then-acting President Isabel Perón from power, Argentina’s armed forces established a military government in 1976, a year that marked the beginning of Argentina’s “Dirty War” period. Headed by General Jorge Videla, the ne...

Czechoslovak resistance to Soviet occupation, 1968

7.0/10

For the first eight months of 1968, the Czechoslovak Communist Party engaged in limited but significant reforms known as ‘Prague Spring,’ including declarations of freedom of expression and organization. The reform movement began in January, when mod...

Danish citizens resist the Nazis, 1940-1945

7.0/10

In 1940, at the brink of World War II, Denmark found itself declaring neutrality and cutting its troops in half. Despite this, the German war machine was not to be stopped. The German army invaded Denmark offering an ultimatum demanding submission. T...

Russians campaign for democracy and economic justice (Russian Revolution), 1905

7.0/10

In the late 19th century, Russia’s autocracy, led by a Tsar (also czar), came under increasing attack. Alexander II was forced to liberate the serfs, but he was still assassinated in 1881 by a group called The People’s Will. His heir, Tsar Alexander ...

English laborers campaign against economic repression (The Tolpuddle Martyrs), 1833-36

5.0/10

Working conditions and wage levels in England in the early 19th century generally made laborers unable to support themselves and their families. According to the estimates of the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, the average laborer needed about fourteen shi...

Dominican activists challenge Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship (Fourteenth of June Movement), 1959-1960

4.5/10

Rafael Leónidas Trujillo ruled the Dominican Republic from the moment he won the fraudulent elections of 1930, up until his assassination in 1961. Through his more than thirty-year rule, Trujillo demanded strict obedience from all Dominicans, and had...

Guatemalan indigenous peoples campaign for equal rights, 1977-1981

4.0/10

On February 4, 1976, a massive earthquake hit the highlands of Guatemala and displaced more than one million people. Indigenous groups from the departments of Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, and Quiche were hit the hardest and the weak respon...

White Rose Resistance to Hitler's Regime, 1942-1943

3.0/10

Amidst the omnipresence of violence during World War II, nonviolent protest is often overlooked or unheard of. However, there were several resistance campaigns that took place in Germany, led by its own citizens. One such campaign in the period of 19...

Low scoring campaigns using this method

Historical cases from the Nonviolent Action Database that used this method

White Rose Resistance to Hitler's Regime, 1942-1943

3.0/10

Amidst the omnipresence of violence during World War II, nonviolent protest is often overlooked or unheard of. However, there were several resistance campaigns that took place in Germany, led by its own citizens. One such campaign in the period of 19...

Effectiveness profile

Success by Opponent
Government / State Body 6.1
Judiciary / Legal System 6.7
Military / Police 7.0
Success by Theme
Success by Group Type
Success by Region
Success by Campaign Scale
Success by Goal Magnitude

Risk profile

Risk by region

Compared to the worldwide average for this method

Americas
skull
Lethal Force and Harm trending_flat Average
personal_injury
Physical Assault (Non-Lethal) trending_flat Average
gavel
Arrests and Legal Action trending_flat Average
campaign
Intimidation and Harassment arrow_upward Higher
lock
Restrictions on Rights and Freedoms trending_flat Average
house_siding
Property Damage and Economic Reprisals trending_flat Average
Asia
Europe

Risk by regime

Compared to the worldwide average for this method

Closed autocracy
Electoral autocracy
Electoral democracy