Myanmar's Panty Protest, Rome's Reddest Fountain
The Return of Absurd Protests, Demonstrations and Bizarre Political Gestures
Outlandish conceptual art and ridiculous political gestures may be getting as popular as bell bottoms were in the 1970s. As usual, the Onion was ahead of the news on this development, with its recent satire on "conceptual terrorists" encasing the Sears Tower in Jell-O.
Just a few days after that issue hit news stands, a self-proclaimed anarchist dumped a bucket of red dye into Rome's famed Trevi fountain. The incident, which took place Friday, is an apparent protest against the city's film festival. Leaflets found near the scene proclaim: "You wanted just a red carpet - we want a city entirely in vermilion... We who are vulnerable, old, ill, students, workers, we come with vermilion to colour your greyness." Before authorities could catch him (red-handed?) the suspect fled the scene, "leaving the baroque fountain spouting red water."
That same day reports began circulating about women in several countries sending their panties to Myanmar embassies to protest the government's crackdown on civil liberties. The rationale, according to one activist, is that the country's superstitious leaders "believe that contact with women's underwear saps them of power." Women from Thailand, Australia, Singapore, England and other countries are all reportedly taking part in the "Panties for Peace" drive.
Then there is Ioan Seutiut, the Romanian gambler who went on a hunger strike after being kicked out of his local casino. There is this summer's Nuts for "Jericho" protest: After CBS canceled the apocalyptic drama, fans sent the network 40,000 peanuts, causing CBS to reconsider and renew the show. And who could forget stencil "artivist" Will St Leger, who planted 100 fake "land mines" in five public parks in Dublin in April? After a tourist "stumbled" upon one of his "pieces" the police were called and have since swept them away. When questioned later about the incident St. Leger explained that "the reason for doing this was to get people asking themselves, 'What if the world I walked in was littered with land mines?'"
As with all gestures of this sort, the line between vandalism and free expression can be ill-defined. But in the virtual world of Second Life, it's just downright confusing. In February, the virtual campaign headquarters of John Edwards were allegedly ransacked by Republicans. According to the presidential candidate's blog, Bush supporters "plastered the area with Marxist/Lenninist [sic] posters and slogans, a feces spewing obsenity, and a photoshopped picture of John in blackface, all the while harrassing visitors with right-wing nonsense and obsenity-laden abuse of Democrats in general and John in particular."
I don't know whether we are on the verge of a renaissance in political absurdism. But I do know this: With Stephen Colbert running for president, 2008 will be even stranger.
By Emil Steiner | October 22, 2007; 11:00 AM ET | Category: OFF/beat Politics
Posted by: hellsbells | October 22, 2007 2:52 PM
Actually, I worked (past tense) for the Edwards campaign. I am no longer there. Why? Because Edwards himself planned and organized the web site hack. He did it strictly for the publicity in his attempt to get elected.
Because of this dishonesty to the American people I am no longer working for Edwards nor am I actively supporting any Democratic candidate.
They are all a bunch of liars and cheats.
Maybe we can get a decent Independent candidate to vote for. Heck, I'll even vote Republican before I pick one of the losers the Democratic party is giving us.
Posted by: | October 23, 2007 7:42 AM
I think you ought to know that the Trevi fountain man wasn't an anarchist at all, but a right wing extremist. Remember Sacco & Vanzetti.
Posted by: Michele Scattarelli | October 23, 2007 1:18 PM
To Michele, have you no knowledge of the Fascist Anarchist movement? It is a circular continuum with the moderates meeting at 12 o'clock and radical right and left converging at 6
Posted by: ATM Azionefuturista 2007 | October 23, 2007 1:35 PM
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The strangest protest I ever saw was in 2004 at enaguration of glorious leader George W. People around the white house were protesting the use of forks because they were not in the Constitution.