Eccentric analysis of the art of protest
BOB AND ROBERTA’S EXCELLENT PROTEST ADVENTURE BBC Four, Thursday, 9pm
THE artist known as ‘Bob and Roberta Smith’ has for years waged eccentric political protests, including forming his own campaign group, the Art Party. But he was the first to admit that he was starting to lose faith in the power of protest, which all too often seemed a futile gesture.
But this year his cynicism was put to the test as the world exploded in popular protest. From Brexit to Black Lives Matter, old to young, right to left, rich to poor – it seems that the world is reclaiming its right to protest. In this film, Bob sets out to discover what’s getting everyone so angry, what they hope to do about it – and whether this angry tribe, all with their own grievances, have anything in common.
A wry, opinionated and passionate investigation into our age of activism, the film is also a very personal chronicle of a summer of popular revolt.
From the dramatic scenes at the Republican National Convention just days after the killing of three police officers, to taking tea with pensioners fighting fracking in Yorkshire, Bob asks if occupations, direct action and endless marches ever actually achieve anything, or whether social media is transforming modern protest and the way our democracy works.
Along the way, Bob consults distinguished thinkers including Noam Chomsky and Roger Scruton; talks protest songs with Billy Bragg; and seeks the sage advice of anti-fracking activist Bez.