Fri, 5 Dec 2008 14:08
Relatives of Jean Charles de Menezes this week wore screen printed clothes as a protest while attending the inquest into his death. The Brazilian was shot in 2005 by tactical police officers after being mistaken for a terrorist. Relatives of the man wore printed t-shirts bearing the slogans Unlawful killing Verdict and Your Legal Right to Decide in an effort to sway the coroner's verdict at the inquest. What this certainly demonstrated is that screen printed clothes are the perfect platform to stage a protest and get your point across.
The history or printed clothing being used as a means of protest goes back a long way. Teenagers have been wearing printed shirts bearing the image of Cuban Revolutionary leader Che Guevara since the 1970s. The same popularity in printed sweatshirts is true for a variety of political icons, including Martin Luther King and, most recently, Barack Obama. Just as printed t-shirts are important as a fashion statement, they are also the ideal place to show off people's beliefs and values.
Liverpool football club this week escaped sanctions from the Football Association (FA) for a screen printed clothing protest staged before a premiership game. Players from the club wore printed polo shirts bearing the slogan Free Michael Now in support of fan Michael Shields. Mr Shields was sentenced to ten years in jail for attacking a Bulgarian waiter in Varna during a holiday following Liverpool's victory in the 2005 Champions League final. Despite another man since admitting to the crime, Mr Shields is currently being held in jail in Cumbria because the other man will not travel to Bulgaria for questioning.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a crowd of almost 7,500 people converged last month in the civic centre of the city to protest against California's Proposition 8, which would ban gay marriage in the state. Members of the crowd wore printed rugby and drill shirts with Milk emblazoned on the front. This is a direct reference to Harry Milk, the states' first gay campaigner who was assassinated 30 years ago.
Similarly, students from the University of Manchester recently targeted the Royal Bank of Scotland with a climate change protest. The group donned yellow printed clothes bearing the slogan Leave It in the Ground to criticise the bank's alleged involvement with the fossil fuel industry. The group staged the peaceful protest, which included a technique called silent theatre, at a recruitment evening hosted by the bank.
Renowned environmentalist Robbie Gillett led the protest and he told Student Direct: "The silent theatre technique is a really interesting way of getting your message across because it sidesteps people's preconceptions of what and who 'protesters' look like and say. Activists in Manchester are developing a broad repertoire of protest tactics. It's not just about marches and megaphones anymore."
However, it should always be noted that wearing provocative slogans emblazoned across your chest will always entice a wide variety of reactions; often less than positive ones. Three men in Singapore were recently sent to jail for wearing printed shirts bearing the image of kangaroos in judge's robes at a hearing in front of the country's Supreme Court. The men were convicted of contempt of court for undermining the justice system. Despite this, whether your cause may be serious or trivial, it is certainly clear that screen printed clothes are the perfect platform to tell it to the world.
