PEOPLELESS PROTEST, an act of protest and resistance void of bodily participation. Peopleless protests have gained popularity in the twenty-first century in response to police brutality, increased use of biometrics and digital surveillance against protestors, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed governments to restrict gatherings and movement. This form of protest often involves objects used as placeholders for people. Stuffed animals and toys holding up signs or placards have been the most consistent medium for these protests globally, but other objects used include shoes, stickers, clothing, balloons, banners, and condoms. Though the concept of this form of action is not new, its strategic applications have increased in the past decade, and digital communications have allowed for these protests to be organized, recorded, and shared widely.
Peopleless protests have been utilized in specific actions for many resistance movements, including Black Lives Matter, Myanmar’s Spring Revolution, protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, anti-femicide protests, protests against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and antiwar protests in Russia.
The absence of physical bodies can take on different meanings. During Myanmar’s Spring Revolution, so-called silent strikes called for people to remain inside their homes to protest the physical brutality that had met earlier peaceful demonstrations. In other cases, objects like toys or shoes served as representatives of the victims of violence, as when stuffed animals covered the gates of government offices in London, as reminders of the dead children in Palestine. Whether as placeholders for protestors unable to unite or for victims unable to speak out, peopleless protests are increasingly used as strategies of resistance.