Quiet Riot

The government of Iran has cracked down on election protests, but the Green Wave refuses to go quietly into that good night. When you can't flood the streets, how do you register your dissent? Over the years, activists around the globe have evaded surveillance, dodged legal action, and escaped oppression in dozens of mind-bending styles. These techniques might not overthrow governments, but they could embarrass or undermine them in small ways. Here are some of the more creative examples.

Country: Burma
Time Period: Fall 2007
Protesting: The junta's crackdown on monks

The Burmese antigovernment protests of 2007 are usually associated with the maroon and saffron robes of Buddhist monks. But there's another garment that has pressured the military regime: women's underwear. Panties for Peace was a campaign launched by a Burmese peace activist group based in Thailand to emphasize the military's violations of human rights, especially violations committed against women, including rape and other forms of sexual violence. Participants would mail out panties—and occasionally men's underwear—to Burmese embassies around the world as an insulting gesture. The idea was inspired by the superstitions of the ruling generals, who thought touching women's undergarments would reduce their powers. (That's hardly their wackiest superstition: in 2005, junta leader Than Shwe relocated the nation's capital to the middle of a jungle on the advice of an astrologer.) Panties for Peace went global, and undies were posted from Australia to Brazil. The campaign regained speed in 2008 in response to the junta's irresponsible handling of the Cyclone Nargis crisis.

Students harassed Burmese generals by ruining their good night's sleep: they would call generals' homes in the middle of the night, waking them up to convey a message: "We want democracy!" The sleepy general at the other end of the line would often shout in annoyance (further rousing them), but he knew another call would be coming the next night. In order to avoid being identified, the callers used an international line and a satellite phone.

Country: Iran
Time Period: Summer 2009
Protesting: Ahmadinejad's "reelection"

Following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dubious reelection, Iran has seen the largest mass demonstrations since the 1979 revolution. Although demonstrators have fought off tear gas and batons on the streets, they're also responding with more innocuous weapons at home: toasters and blow dryers. On July 7, as Ahmadinejad gave his first televised speech after the election, defiant Iranians collectively plugged in their household appliances in an attempt to cause electrical blackouts and prevent the president's message from being heard inside people's homes. Students behind the tactic plotted through Twitter (surprise!) to coordinate the electrical protest and share the bright news with each other as lights went out in various Iranians towns.

More than just blocking the government's voice, protestors also found a way to spread their own message anonymously. After demonstrations were broken up, members of the so-called Green Wave began writing messages on paper money. Pro-Mousavi statements circulate widely as bills make their way from one hand to another.

Anything green will do for a simple sign of dissent or solidarity, but stocks of green items have been badly depleted in Iran. Green balloons—released into the air during protests, for example—have run out, leaving Iranians to improvise. In their place, they've floated green plastic bags. Painting the streets green at night, another activity to express dissent, has been restricted after the government started monitoring the sales of green paint. The solution? Iranians are mixing yellow and blue.

Country: Turkey
Time Period: Winter 1997
Protesting: Government corruption

Iran isn't the only country where citizens have used light—or the lack of it—to draw attention to their demands. In 1996, a car accident near Istanbul unleashed a titanic political scandal. The car was carrying a parliamentarian, a former Istanbul police chief, and the leader of a crime syndicate, who together exposed the cozy relationship between political parties, law enforcement, and organized crime. The outrage led to a national debate over the lack of transparency in politics.