Protest and Performativity

Abstract

Protests are contentious actions that pose claims to other parties. Protesters seek attention and voice or demand that a third party act (or stop acting) in a way that prompts grievances or causes suffering to the protesters or others. Protestors raise claims for a range of reasons, material, legal (such as rights and protections), and symbolic. Often all the claimants want is to call the authorities’ attention to certain issues because their efforts to be listened to through regular means have been ignored. Protests have been part and parcel of Mexican politics since postrevolutionary times. These protests routinely incorporate performative innovations into their repertoire in order to gain public support and have their demands met. This chapter analyzes the components of performance in protest and discusses a range of contrasting case studies from Mexico, highlighting features such as empathy and identity through performance.