Protest & Activism (REAL WORLD vs SOCIAL MEDIA)
Is PROTEST the same as ACTIVISM?
Protest is something that people do not show publicly that something is wrong and unfair (protest | meaning of protest in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE 2019).
Activism is a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue (Definition of ACTIVISM 2018).
Both protest and activism involve movement and encourages action. Both issues also happen when there is dissatisfaction among the public involved. So, are there any differences?
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaCyHD2QreA)Â
Daryl Morey, the Houston Rocketsâ General Manager, tweeted âFight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.â on 4th October which showed his support towards the ongoing protests in Hong Kong due to opposition of controversial legislation that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. His tweet was a damaging one that caused several China sponsors such as Li-Ning sportswear and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank cut ties with the Rockets (He 2019). The main media partner of the NBA in China, Tencent, with a streaming deal worth $1.5 billion for the next five years also stated it will stop broadcasting Rocketsâ games that which leads to drop in views for further NBA games, in which the aftermath of the situation could be seen in the recent Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers game in China.Â
Two days after the tweet, the NBA league responded that Morey had deeply offended most of their Chinaâs fans and friends, which is regrettable. Adam Silver also commented âI think as a value-based organization that I want to make it clear that Daryl Morey is supported in terms of his ability to exercise his freedom of expression.â (Houston Rockets GMâs Tweet Controversy Simmers On in China 2019). Morey emphasized that his tweet did not intend to offend Rockets fans and his China friends. He stated that he was just giving his opinion (NBA-China issue: Latest news resulting from Daryl Moreyâs Hong Kong tweet, what it means for the league 2019). Despite their explanations, the people of China, including Yao Ming, a former basketball player for the Houston Rockets who the current chairman of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), to further boycott the American basketball league as a protest.Â
(Source:Â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9EFFoQtWrY)
What about your point of view?
This whole back and forth between the Chinese and the Americans could be seen as a protest against each other. At the same time, there was also the involvement of activism in the Chinese side when they stopped all broadcasting, merchandise and sponsorship relating to the American league.
In my opinion, I think that protest and activism is pretty much the same. They are both the expression of a voice. They all come down to having a voice and the desire to express, discuss and take action on the matter either on social media or through physical conversations. In the end, how you feel about it, it can all be subjective. Leave your comments down below and share what you think. Thanks for reading!
Definition of ACTIVISM 2018, Merriam-webster.com.
He, L 2019, Backlash from China after NBA managerâs Hong Kong tweet, CNN, viewed 15 October 2019, <https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/07/business/houston-rockets-nba-china-daryl-morey/index.html>.
Houston Rockets GMâs Tweet Controversy Simmers On in China 2019, Voice of America, viewed 15 October 2019, <https://www.voanews.com/usa/houston-rockets-gms-tweet-controversy-simmers-china>.
NBA-China issue: Latest news resulting from Daryl Moreyâs Hong Kong tweet, what it means for the league 2019, CBSSports, viewed 14 October 2019,<https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-china-issue-latest-news-resulting-from-daryl-moreys-hong-kong-tweet-what-it-means-for-the-league/>.Â
protest | meaning of protest in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE 2019, Ldoceonline.com.
