Dodging the Property Discourse: Statues and Student Activism

Abstract

Political activism labeled as “violent” has seen a significant increase worldwide. A common feature of this movement is the growing use of property damage as a protest strategy. While efforts have been made to structure a framework for politically motivated property damage, some situations seem to fall outside. This is evident in cases of student activism at universities against symbolic property, such as statues, linked to the colonial past. In these instances, a peculiar silence regarding property discourse may indicate the difficulty of employing it under certain circumstances. This article aims to analyze the conditions that hinder the use of this narrative in favor of others, such as debates on historical revisionism and the legacies of the people or times represented by these statues. We outline two main features that may hinder the use of property discourse in these cases: the participation of an entitled group in these mobilizations and the highly symbolic nature of these types of property. More than describing the peculiarities of cases of property discourse, this paper seeks to contribute to a framework for politically motivated property damage, highlighting property discourse as one of the various narratives that can be mobilized to protect ownership.