Tents

As I walked around the protest encampment on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus I wondered why tent camps had become the symbol of protest here and on campuses across the nation.

Encampment on the Library Mall, University of Wisconsin Madison, April 29, 2024

Activists have utilized tent encampments for many years. For instance, the 1968 Poor People's Campaign camped in "Resurrection City" on Washington D.C.'s National Mall to bring attention to poverty in America. 

Photo of the 1968 Resurrection City camp: SCLC records, MARBL, Emory University

 

In 1932 the Bonus Army, a group of World War I veterans, set up camp in Washington, D.C. to demand early cash redemption of their service bonus certificates.

Bonus Army, Camp Marks, Anacostia, Washington D.C., 1932

In each instance the tent camps draw attention to a cause. The protesters create a visual statement that they are not going anywhere anytime soon. In some cases this leads to a positive outcome, change for the better.