Understanding new approaches to war and protest
By VIOLET ZANZOT— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu
With time and wisdom, it becomes clear that the harsh line between friend and foe is evolving. It becomes translucent; it curves, it bends, it softens, it emboldens — losing simplicity and gaining complexity as society evolves. The same convolution comes to fruition in the form of tools employed in social movements, especially in the methods of protest and war.
The line between processes that drive forces of oppression and those wielded by movements of resistance has followed in suit with the line between friend and foe. In essence, modern war and protest take more unique and expansive forms than those most often recognized by history and traditional media — war is more than guns, and protests are more than picket signs. In many cases, the same tool is used on either side of the battleground; the weapon of war and prophet of protest differ only in intent.
To contextualize this claim, we can look to Iran. Iranians have been exhausted by existing as victims of their governmental regime for some time. As of Dec. 28, 2025, a new attempt to demand reform has emerged and has continued to gain momentum. The government is unhappy, to say the least. At the time of writing, at least 2,500 protesters have been killed in what began as a response to a sharp decrease in the Iranian currency’s value, fierce inflation (40%) and the rising prices, which were largely a result of nuclear weapons sanctions.
If we ask what weapons were used in this war, an immediate assumption might outline those that directly caused physical harm — something akin to a water cannon or rubber bullets (both of which were employed). But perhaps an equally notable tool of terrorism is the media blackout. Iranians at home and those abroad find themselves locked away from each other and the outside world — a direct manifestation of war against the people. It might not look as drastic as the bodies wrapped in bags that are a consequence of physical warfare, but it operates alongside traditional weaponry to attack the Iranian people all the same.
The media, Internet and communication are all tools of protest — the voice of the people, which foils the attacker. This too is a tool of war, but wielded much differently in this context — with the intention of expression, not repression, and the voice of a people, not an attack.
Because of this, the Internet is a powerful site for movements and allows for previously impossible levels of mass organization. Through communicating, learning about, shaping and altering the discourse to build a cohesive voice, the Internet is invaluable to the building of a common goal and the distribution of knowledge — crucial aspects of effective protest. Protest makes use of the Internet, as war does. The same tool, with a different intention.
Involving yourself on the frontlines does not always look or sound like boots on the ground. It looks like drugs: medicines or poisons. It looks like clothing: jumpsuits or black berets. It looks like legal work, teaching and architecture. The instrument is silent; the sound comes only when the musician plays.
When wars feel rampant and chaos is inescapable, ask yourself how you can protest. Sometimes, picket lines are a luxury. Sometimes you cannot be the one to fight; sometimes you have to be the one on the sidelines, and it’s important to know when to play each role. Now, as much as ever, it is necessary to choose the side of history we want to fall on and pick our intentions with as much caution as our weapons. Because in the end, it’s how we use them that matters most.
Written by: Violet Zanzot— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu
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