Most demo organisers I know are quite upfront about the fact that they a tool for recruitment and networking rather than PR . They don’t use those terms obviously but criticise groups like Stop the War which don’t have a clear strategy beyond the protest, and focus on speeches more than route when police interference isn’t an issue. Anti-fascist counter-protests are the only example I can think of where putting boots on the ground is the point.
Take back the night style events like this are a pretty good example of the form: the point isn’t to convince people who wouldn’t attend of the campaign’s views but to drag in as many wavering fence sitters as possible (hence why they are so big on campuses) and give them a big confidence boost in their beliefs. The main effect on framing is probably from the attendees going on to express those views in their personal life, rather than from the media coverage of the protest.
Most demo organisers I know are quite upfront about the fact that they a tool for recruitment and networking rather than PR . They don’t use those terms obviously but criticise groups like Stop the War which don’t have a clear strategy beyond the protest, and focus on speeches more than route when police interference isn’t an issue. Anti-fascist counter-protests are the only example I can think of where putting boots on the ground is the point.
Take back the night style events like this are a pretty good example of the form: the point isn’t to convince people who wouldn’t attend of the campaign’s views but to drag in as many wavering fence sitters as possible (hence why they are so big on campuses) and give them a big confidence boost in their beliefs. The main effect on framing is probably from the attendees going on to express those views in their personal life, rather than from the media coverage of the protest.