Brexit protests - Potter

Rhetorical Analysis of a Protest Object

Colin Potter

            On June 23, 2016, citizens throughout Great Britain flocked to the polls to vote in a referendum on whether to leave the European Union, or to stay. After votes were cast, the world was shocked by the results, and Great Britain’s decision to leave the EU. The European Stock Market crashed, and the British Pound dropped to its lowest value in decades. However, leaving the EU has many more consequences than what has been seen since the vote, and the ones who will be most negatively affected by the decision are Great Britain’s youth, the ones whose future relies on the benefits of EU membership, such as the freedom to travel and work throughout Europe with ease. Leaving the EU will mean that the broad horizons many once looked towards for the future will become much narrower, lacking in the opportunities given to EU members that have benefitted those before them.

It is through this context that the identity this sign represents is defined. Brexit will create a generation of young adults, of millennials, who no longer have the opportunities that those before them have had, and this fact separates them from other citizens of Great Britain. This identity has become defined through the opportunities no longer available to these young adults.

            In the wake of the Brexit decision, protests, like the one shown in the photo above, began in England. Particularly interesting within this context is the message held by two young women, protesting the decision. The sign is fairly simple, reading in all caps, “You stole our future from us.” “You,” in this sign directs the statement towards politicians and voters in favor of Brexit, those responsible for the referendum’s outcome. By being shown at a publicly visible protest, this sign is meant to be read by passersby, all Great Britain, and throughout the world, not just by those responsible for the decision, making the audience larger than just those whom the sign addresses. By targeting a wider audience, the sign establishes the identity of the “we,” for this audience: young adults, such as those holding the sign, who are adversely affected by the Brexit.

            It is the context in which this sign is displayed, combined with its audience and the message on the sign that allows this protest object to effectively establish the identity it does. With this in place, the purpose of the sign becomes much clearer. The young people pictured are using a variety of rhetorical techniques in this sign to express dissent for the decision, to push for a change in the consequences of the referendum, and to call out those who they view have negatively impacted their future. A petition for a second referendum reached 2 million signatures as this protest was occurring, revealing that the individuals involved with the sign and the protest were likely pushing for a nullification of the referendum, a second referendum, or another way to prevent the consequences Brexit will have on the future of Britain’s youth. Beyond this implicit call for action, this sign utilizes an appeal to pathos to condemn the kind of anti-immigration, racist arguments and beliefs that were largely responsible for the result of the referendum, and explicitly call out the consequences of these beliefs. It sends a message directly towards the “You,” or those responsible for the result, that their vote, and by extension their beliefs, are going to negatively impact millions of citizens in Great Britain.

            “You stole our future from us,” primarily appeals to pathos and logos, to call out the beliefs and people responsible for Brexit, convey dissent with the referendum decision, and influence people to push for a way to stop Brexit. All of these goals give a voice to the identity of British youth who will be adversely affected by Brexit. The main appeal this object makes is to pathos, however logos and ethos appeals are also involved as subtle rhetorical strategies.

            Upon examination of everything from the context to the physical message of the sign, an appeal to ethos is barely visible. The appeal to ethos is not utilized, but the concept that young people would know which opportunities are needed in today’s world to succeed, so they must know if their future has been stolen can be viewed as a slight appeal to ethos. Although limited in scope and impact, “You stole our future from us,” appeals to logos. It does not explicitly lay out the logical argument that forms the foundation of the claim, instead the argument is implicit, making the audience to think through it after grabbing their attention with forceful and impactful accusatory language. By allowing the audience think through the logic behind the accusation, it appeals to logos in an unconventional way. The logical argument is not explicit, but it is in the claim’s justification, making this appeal to logos more memorable because it must be worked out by each individual in the audience. However, this appeal may be lost among some members of the target audience, as those who are not aware of the benefits of EU membership (the 2nd most common Google search on Brexit following the vote was, “What is the EU?”) and those who disagree and may be unwilling to think through the logic of the claim may miss out on this appeal. This does not mean that the appeal is ineffective, rather that it is more effective among some of the audience and less effective on others.

            By far the greatest appeal of this object is to pathos. The phrase, “You stole our future from us,” written in all caps is accusatory, immediately invoking an emotional response from both the accused and the rest of the audience. Regardless of the initial response of either anger or sympathy, it serves the purpose of drawing in the audience. The second appeal to pathos is designed to humanize those negatively impacted by the decision. It gives light to a collective narrative of the decision’s consequences and feelings about those consequences, one that is designed to make the result not just about facts but about the people affected. It brings the impact the decision will have on real young adults to the forefront, emphasizing the reality of the decision’s consequences. “You stole our future from us,” sends a message that the prejudices and fear that influenced the rhetoric around the referendum, and that influenced the referendum’s decision, have had real consequences on young adults in Great Britain, and that those who were a part of this are to blame.

            This object reveals the identity of a generation who will be affected by Brexit, and at the same time attacks the rhetoric and people responsible for the decision. Its purpose was to influence efforts to reverse the decision, express dissent, and humanize the consequences of the referendum utilizing appeals to pathos. While the extent to which protests and messages such as this influence Britain’s policy have yet to be known, “You stole our future from us,” succeeds in humanizing millennials affected by Brexit and in being a part of the dissent felt throughout Britain for this decision.

Works Cited:

Dean, Jon. "Anti-Brexit Protests See Hundreds on the Streets in London and Scotland as Petition for Second Referendum Passes 2 MILLION - Mirror Online." Mirror. N.p., June 2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

Selyukh, Alina. "After Brexit Vote, Britain Asks Google: 'What Is The EU?'" NPR. NPR, 24 June 2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.