Citizen protest
As citizens protest one is called displeasure expression of part of the population of a community or a neighborhood against a political or administrative decision of their elected representatives or local administration. The citizens protest is a democratic state in forms of civil rights . The citizen protest often arises spontaneously through a subjective feeling of injustice of a group of citizens that is felt almost at the same time .
to form
The forms of protest are differently pronounced depending on the occasion and use different means:
- spontaneous gathering of affected residents
- Street demonstration
- public rally
- Blocking of public facilities , e.g. B. Sit Block
- Collection of signatures
- Referendum , referendum
- strike
- Media-effective campaigns such as poster campaigns , internet blockades, extreme forms: hunger strike , self-immolation
- Flash mob
- Guerilla marketing
history
The civil protest went hand in hand with the emergence of modern democratic states in which the citizens could freely choose their representatives. Today, citizen protests are partially factored in by the political office holders or even used as a means to enforce their political decisions (see, for example, citizens 'petitions for the Waldschlößchenbrücke in Dresden and citizens' survey on the construction of the state parliament / city palace in Potsdam). If the citizens feel that their basic rights have been impaired by an administrative act , they occasionally seek legal help, as happened when planning the Berlin Brandenburg Airport .
Occasions
- Planning process - and decisions by the administration of a municipality on urban restructuring
- Approval of controversial building projects
- Transport of dangerous goods through residential areas / nuclear waste transport
- burdens on citizens from politics or administration perceived as unjust
- Political decisions perceived as disturbance of social peace
Motifs
According to Franz Walter u. a. the participants in civil protests share a common distrust of party politics . There are clear differences in individual motives among protesters who are close to the church, which correlate with their religious denomination : Protestants act according to their own assessment out of a sense of responsibility that prompts them not to leave things unchallenged. Catholic demonstrators, on the other hand, emphasize the preservation of creation which drives it. The lawyer and author Helmar Lang explicitly points out that protest alliances are understood as independent communication systems and not just as an association of protesting people. Accordingly, citizen protest is treated as a political issue, with an emphasis not on citizens, but on protest.
Sociological Composition
According to Franz Walter et al. a. high-income academics made up the largest proportion of protesters. Among them there is a "noticeably high " number of householders , part-time employees , freelancers , schoolchildren , pastors and teachers, as well as a particularly large number of early retirees , retirees and retirees . Accordingly, the 56 to 65 year olds form the largest group of protesters in terms of age. The 65 to 75 year olds are also relatively well represented. What these groups have in common is that they have sufficient time or can allocate it relatively freely to take part in protest events. In contrast, the proportion of 25 to 35-year-olds or young parents and young professionals is relatively low . Overall, men make up the lion's share of protesters at 70 percent. In the north and south-west of Germany, the protesters are mainly recruited from the non-denominational camp .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Stine Marg, Franz Walter (Ed.): The new power of citizens. What motivates protest movements? Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 2013, ISBN 978-3-498-07254-4 .
- ↑ Helmar Lang: Citizens' protest, but with a system! Magenta Verlag, Krefeld 2012, ISBN 978-3-944-29900-6 .