Women’s March Colloquy - Chants of the Resistance: Flow, Memory, and Inclusivity

Abstract

Participating in the Women's March in New York in 2017, this author was struck by how quiet the march seemed, relative to Japanese protests. This essay considers the ways in which policing shapes the sound of protests. In Japan, heavy policing renders protests less visible, compelling Japanese protesters to use sound to make their claims known; chanting, recognized as important in building solidarity, is often led and planned. The Women's March in New York was privileged by light policing; it didn't need sound to be seen. The leaderless atmosphere of the Women's Marches led to a high rate of innovation in chanting. Drawing from ethnography and videos of thirty protests, the essay analyzes the chants of the first six months of the Resistance. Using a combination of humor, references to recent events, interaction with popular music, and intertextuality with historical protest culture, these chants and songs engage protesters and issues in memorable fashion. Aiding the construction of these new chants is their tendency to follow the familiar musical forms of sentences or periods, and their frequent use of preexisting text patterns. The essay ends with a critique of the decline in intersectionality seen in the 2018 Women's March in New York and a call for agonistic democracy.

Tracking the Resistance

“…Black Lives Matter (BLM) and the Immigrant Rights movement drew attention to racial oppression, while Occupy focused on economic and political inequality and popularized the language of “the 99 percent.” Indeed, Whittier (2018) notes the use of chants from both Occupy and Black Lives Matter during the 2017 Women's March. Manabe (2019), likewise, traces several common chants at the New York March to earlier movements. “Tell me what democracy looks like/this is what democracy looks like,” for example, dates back at least to Seattle's 1999 World Trade Organization protests; it was later adopted by Iraq War protesters and Occupy Wall Street participants, among others (Manabe, 2019).…”

“…Manabe (2019), likewise, traces several common chants at the New York March to earlier movements. "Tell me what democracy looks like/this is what democracy looks like," for example, dates back at least to Seattle's 1999 World Trade Organization protests; it was later adopted by Iraq War protesters and Occupy Wall Street participants, among others (Manabe, 2019). The legacy of prior mobilizations included experienced activists, well-developed repertoires of tactics, politicized understandings of particular issues, and organizational infrastructures-as well as alliances, rivalries, and resentments.…”

All About Iraq: Re-Modifying Older Slogans and Chants in Tishreen [October] Protests

“…The etymology of the word ‘chant’, on the other hand, demonstrates that the term is derived from the Latin cantare , meaning ‘to sing’. 3 Chants always involve sound, rhythm, and singing (Manabe, 2019). Following Jakobsen (1987), I view chants as genres of a specific discourse.…”

An Analysis Of Brahmacārin Ethics In Manawa Dharmaçastra (Hindu Law Compendium)

“…This practice has brought so many Hindus to a very significant increase in spiritual awareness, and in the end, it has a positive effect on other aspects of life, such as mental health (psychic) and physical health benefits. Various scientific studies show the positive benefits of these activities (Ghaligi et al, 2006;Kori, 2017;Manabe, 2019;Rao et al, 2018;Singh & Singh, 2018). p. Respect Ācārya, Father, Mother, and Brother Furthermore, four (4) important figures must be respected by a brahmacārin, namely Guru, father, mother, and brother as stated in Manawa Dharmaçastra II.225 -II.…”