Andy Nichols

Calgarians rally at Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office in late January to protest his decision to prorogue Parliament

It’s cold. And snowing. But big white flakes and a brisk wind aren’t enough to dissuade the crowd in front of Stephen Harper’s constituency office, bundled in toques and parkas, brandishing signs and Canada flags and chanting, “Get back to work.”

Started as a Facebook group, this rally was one of many that took place across the country in late January, protesting the prorogation of Parliament. From children in strollers to white-haired folks from all political ideologies, the group was united by a common ideal. A youngster, barely waist-high, takes the microphone and tells Harper to “do his job.” Nearby, a man is telling a reporter that he voted for Harper in the last election, but “now I’m pissed off.”

But, over a month later, the halls on the Hill were still empty. Harper wasn’t in his Calgary office the day of the protest and, though a petition was signed and sent to him, it appears he wasn’t listening; nor was he swayed.

So why bother?

IT’S ABOUT THE MESSAGE

The prorogation rally was organized to join with fellow Canadians across the country in expressing our disapproval, says Scott Payne, one of the organizers. “It seemed to be an issue that resonated with people.” They chose a rally because of its visibility, and Payne says they were lucky because, not only did they attract the attention of people walking by, they received a good deal of media coverage.

Bruce Foster, chair of the department of policy studies at Mount Royal University, says that while younger, more idealistic protesters may think their actions will affect immediate change, most seasoned activists realize that “The ship of state moves at a snail’s pace.”

“The immediate importance is getting the public’s attention through the media,” he says. “Governments will respond to public pressure, but first you have to get the public onside.” He points to groups such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace as masters at getting a message broadly disseminated.

While the media is important in bringing the message to a wider audience, Robert Bragg, a journalism instructor at Mount Royal University, says there is some fatigue from the cliché protest, and journalists aren’t compelled to cover every rally and sit-in.

“How much coverage they get depends on the media saying, ‘I’ve seen this before, it’s not a new message,’ or ‘This is new, this is different’ — people were pepper-sprayed, or something happened that gives it a dramatic spice. That’s what they are looking for from a news perspective. The more confrontational the better.”

Social networking is another tool used by activists not only to spread their messages to a larger, more diverse audience, but also to unite people with common goals and ideals. At the prorogation rally, almost half of the participants identified themselves as first-time protesters — something that Payne attributes to reaching new people through Facebook, as well as to growing frustration with the Harper government.

Part of the recent uptick in protests may also have to do with demographics. Many academics mistakenly believe that the 18 to 24 demographic is not interested in engaging in politics, since voter turn-out for this group is as low as 25 per cent. But Foster says this age group has political views on many different issues and are using non-traditional channels, such as Facebook, protests and other gatherings to express them. “It’s not politics as usual, but it is politics,” he adds.

HOW FAR IS TOO FAR?

Since not every rally and sit-in will be picked up by the media, some groups go a step beyond chanting and waving signs to garner attention. Greenpeace is one of the best-known groups for participating in acts of civil disobedience — its activists are often charged with trespassing for unfurling banners at high-powered corporate dinners, the Parliament buildings or at tarsands operations. Tavis Ford was charged with mischief after unfurling an anti-tarsands banner from a Greenpeace boat on the Athabasca River.

“The arrests are necessary because it doesn’t get the attention and it doesn’t have the same immediacy without the arrests,” Ford says. “Other methods haven’t had the response we need so we are putting our freedom, to some extent, on the line to affect change in the system.”

Foster agrees that there is a certain audacity to Greenpeace’s efforts that is very effective at gaining media coverage. “It’s not whether it’s good or bad, or if people bitch and complain and say they’ve done something wrong, it’s the message,” Foster says. “No matter what the controversy, if they got in illegally or whatever, there is always a picture of it, and for organization like Greenpeace that’s the most important thing.”

However, Foster calls the recent smashing of windows by anarchist protesters at the Vancouver Olympics “idiotic.”

“Where you have the public registering disapproval is when you have protesters being belligerent, nasty and violent,” he says. “The public doesn’t concentrate on the message, but their idiotic actions. Vancouver is a classic case of how to turn a potential audience against you.”

While protests, rallies and actions of civil disobedience may not change anything today, tomorrow, or even for months or years to come, Foster says they can be effective at spreading the message if they are sustained and resonate with the public.

“If you look at the civil rights movement in the United States, same-sex marriage in Canada, the women’s movement, they all take time,” Foster says. “That is the nature of change, at least at the political level.”