Protesters are turning to theatrical tactics like papier-mâché bobble-head costumes, human oil slicks, rebel clowns, samba bands and floats to demonstrate against the G20 summit meetings, reported The Globe and Mail June 25:

Lesley Wood, a sociology professor in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies who specializes in social movements, says dissent has trended toward creativity and away from aggression in recent years, a phenomenon she attributes to heightened security measures in the past decade.

"I think overall, post-9-11, you're seeing people saying, 'What can we get our message out doing that isn't quite as risky?' Protesters are a little bit scared," Wood said. A total of 12,000 police officers have been assigned to the summit.

"Protesters always have to find a balance between getting noticed and being legitimate, and there's a risk if you start being too theatrical because you get written off as not serious," Wood said.

The full article's available on The Globe's Website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– York University’s daily e-bulletin.