If supporting grassroots activists taught us anything, it is that when enough individuals come together, it is possible to take on a system.” — Yvon Chouinard
What would the world look like if we couldn’t express outrage against the systems we disagree with or support the changes we seek?
Our right to peaceful protest is under attack, and we must act now!
Protest! Respect It Defend It Use It offers a powerful look at the role peaceful activism has played in advancing the public good—and shines a light on the urgent need to protect this democratic right. This is not a how-to guide. Rather, it is a celebration of what collective action can achieve, an invitation to be inspired, and a reminder that each of us has the capacity to make a difference.
Featuring more than 40 iconic campaigns from around the world, the book combines photos, artifacts, and memorable quotes to create a vivid testament to the power of public dissent. Guest essays from Jane Fonda, Tennessee Representative Justin Pearson, Dolores Huerta, Nemonte Nenquimo, and others reveal how protest shaped their own commitment to driving change. Through storytelling and first-hand reflection, readers are invited to witness, reflect, and engage in peaceful activism—right here, right now.
Rivers that don’t catch fire. The freedom to marry whom we love. Clean air and water. Even weekends off. Peaceful protest—protected in the U.S., as in many countries, as a cornerstone of participatory democracy— helped bring about each of these victories. Free speech, dissent, and public mobilization are essential tools for advancing so many causes, including environmental protection, workers’ rights, human rights, self-determination, and climate, social, and racial justice.
Yet even as protest has delivered lasting progress—and perhaps because of it—the right to speak freely and organize is increasingly under threat. Crackdowns are no longer confined to authoritarian regimes; anti-protest sentiment is spreading across established democracies. Activists are being vilified, targeted, and even criminalized. In the U.S., anti-protest laws have been enacted in 49 states. SLAPP suits—meritless legal actions used to silence dissent—are on the rise. New legal concepts like “negligent protest” are being used to hold organizers liable for damages, while violent actions by anti-democratic forces are reframed or excused.
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