#creative protest

[austin-friars]

"I am sorry. In this life, I was so cruel to you. I have robbed us of so many years together." He says, a tear threatens to stroll down his cheek. "Listen," His lover speaks softly, a thumb gently wiping the tear away. "In every other life, we put our differences aside, we let bygones be bygones, and we are happy old men, laughing in our garden. And if aside from this one, there is to be another universe where we quarrel for the better years of our lives, I will find you there earlier, and I will assure we make peace. That way, we will be together longer, until the end of our days."

A gay old man couple from one of the novels inside of my head.

[myfootyrthroat]

Ok, so a campus group that has been talking about our University being 'fascist' for their extremely mild response to protests (they locked 2 buildings for a day, like 4 people were arrested) are now talking about how new campus gathering rules will make it impossible to organize. (Gatherings of over 100 require a permit, signs can't be larger than 24", no permanent structures).

I say this with all due respect, but... If you're doing civil disobedience, just break the rules you fucking wimps.

[toastedcinnamonflakes]

"You really like him, huh?" Ivan asked, trying to sound entirely disinterested, but he could not prevent a certain biting tone.

"No", Pyotr said. His head was leaning against the wall, tipped back a little. He looked worryingly pale.

"Then what -"

"I don't like him", Pyotr interrupted, his voice just a little strained. He swallowed as if in pain, looked at the ceiling, his eyes darting around. "I don't LIKE him. I just think... I think, out of all of us, Nikolai is closest to god, because he is the only one who can properly mirror god's endless indifference. They say god is justice - but really. Forgiving even the most brutal of crimes, even the most heinous of sins - that is not justice, or love. That is indifference." He huffed out a laugh. It sounded sarcastic, but Ivan could hear the pain beneath it. Physical or psychological, that was hard to tell. "And Nikolai is nothing if not indifferent."

****

That sentence about Stavrogin and God both being indifferent was something I recently found in my notes. I'm thinking of writing a fanfic in which this scene would take place. I wonder, would anybody be interested?

[siriuslyobsessedwithfiction]

The pro-Russian false government of Georgia: Pyrotechnics and gas masks are now illegal. If you are found carrying one, you will be arrested, beaten, and fined. Drown in teargas we use against you.

Georgian protestors: Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!

[boar-cry]

This world is worth fighting for and will always be worth fighting for. You have to live. I will always believe in good things and better people. There is a world where we all come out of this okay. Listen to music and dance and never give up. Always be kind to others above all else.

[leolaroot]

ill be in the middle of playing dolls going lalalala yayayay and they gay kissed ! and then see somepony mischaracterize a little Too hard and suddenly im all done playinb toys now. 😐 you made it lame dude.

[somketv]

Do not let those bastards win-- you are not small and sweet and easily digestible for them. You are a wildfire.

Burn like it.

[sven-a-la-mode]

why are dictatorships always trying to kill the masses why can’t it ever be for the girlies where they just lock tf in and cure climate change or whatever

[loressa]

Ok so I'm thinking about making a horror game called "Pregnancy" and the plot is that you go through pregnancy

[marlocandeea]

there's all this pushing for greatness in our society, but it's a lot easier if it's a cookie cutter success we want. do what other people do to have what they have. the road is paved, the methods tried and tested.

but if you want what only you have, within, to bring it with-out, into the world, then greater limits will come your way, great indifference. and yet, great freedom from judgment: results are not a moral standard. missing out on something which didnt found its way to greater fulfillment is a two-way loss for the world and the giver and maybe, not a loss at all. the dreamworld has its own patronage too. more miracles are performed in dreams, more curses sent and mountain halls found, more wars and peaces are made in dreams than we can think of.

[maked-artyshenanigans]

Controversial comment here - I think the act of throwing things at famous paintings (that are in protective casings) as a form of protest is kinda genius.

They're not damaging the works, they're creating a showy performance that doesn't hurt anyone or leave lasting damage, and they are bringing attention to their protest as it's controversial enough that it will attract engagement.

Art (even in the casing) will be cleaned by art handlers, and the surrounding areas will be cleaned by janitors who will undoubtedly be trained on the protocols surrounding working within the vicinity of infamous pieces.

All the way up the chain, people are hired to minimise potential damage to pieces - from managing the before to dealing with the after - and there is no better way to draw attention to a cause than using notoriety and profit as a bargaining chip. Not hiring employees with the adequate training is not an option, as that runs the risk of artwork getting damaged/destroyed/stolen/etc. Not allowing individuals to see or experience the artworks is *also* out of the question, as this would spark mass outrage.

At worst, art may experience real damage that cannot be undone. This is unlikely, especially considering the technologies involved in preventative and restoration measures.

At best, janitors up to art restorers are somewhat inconvenienced with an additional chore within their job; you could even argue that this method of protests generates income for individuals lower in the ranks of capital.

As far as protests go, this method is exceptionally safe as it does not impose any obstructions to the safety and wellbeing of any party included (looking at you, Insulate Britain....)

One thing I *do* dislike about this as a form of protest is that it feels somewhat aimless. What is the link between superficial "destruction" of famous art pieces and the cause being highlighted? Who is this demonstration targeting? Is any one group or individual being strongarmed into making an active change? And, why are those messages not being conveyed effectively?

The groups who have engaged with demonstrations such as this haven't quite established the links between their cause and the target(s), but I do think that this method could be applied in a multitude of different ways and genuinely believe that this has been slated so harshly as the promise it holds is insurmountable.

Final note: When critiquing protests, take the time to evaluate *why* you like/dislike every facet and encourage yourself to engage with critical thinking in the grey zone - nothing is black and white.

[austin-friars]

'I would love to do a poetry prompt thing where someone sends me like...a word' as stalkerish as this sounds, THIS IS MY TIME. Your Joan of Arc poem changed my brain chemistry forever, so if you don't mind. Flex those poetic muscles at me with the word 'profane' 🙏

Omg it is not stalkerish at all! Thank you so much for sending this my way. You send the right word to the right person! I hope yu enjoy this!

-

Profane - relating or devoted to that which is not sacred or biblical; secular rather than religious

Hope you enjoyed anon <3. Thanks again, and for anyone reading; If you want your own poem - send me a random word for a prompt!

[melachoir]

"Kiss me like we are more than the normalcy they made us wear, more than the boxes they begged us to live in, like we are not bound by time or place but by the gravity of something that has always existed between us."

Excerpt from "Kiss Me Like Revolution"

[amoralcrackpot]

"We can't have these kids thinking they're going to change anything for the better," said one officer.

[clumsydoodles]

solidarity

[axelofthekey]

I wrote this piece for class, and submitted it to publication journal in the hopes of seeing it there. It was rejected, and so I have decided to share this here because it's a story I want to tell.