Step 19 of Gene Sharp’s 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action comes from the list of Symbolic Public Acts. As I covered in Step 18, the resistance has used flags and symbolic colors as a form of protest throughout history.
Pussy hats, peace signs, rainbow flags.
Umbrellas, three finger salutes, hoodies, flowers.
Flowers epitomize peaceful protest. They were offered to soldiers at the Pentagon in 1967 and handed out to demonstrators at the Women’s March in 2017. They were worn by Dr. King, a way of saying, “I will meet your hate with dignity and grace.”
A botanical “When they go low, we go high.”
LEIGH HOPKINS 