Apr 18, 2012-2012
Montenegro
Underwear Protest
Share
ACTIVISTS/ACT.GROUPS/DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP
Network for Affirmation of the Nongovernmental Sector (MANS)
TARGET
PM Luksic
WIDELY HELD BELIEF
Corrupt government officials should be exposed.
CASE NARRATIVE
Issue and Opponent: The government of Montenegrins, specifically Prime Minister Igor Luksic, was reported to have bought underwear using official government funds while in Estonia. Luksic and his government were also under criticism stemming from the new tax plan that Luksic was planning on implementing. The government has failed to meet the demands of the activists before.
Dilemma Action: On April 18, 2012, members of the Network for Affirmation of the Nongovernmental Sector (MANS) strung up underwear in front of the government building in Podgorica with the names of ministers pinned to them.
Outcomes: There is no evidence of concessions being made or punishments being instilled. Luksic remained Prime Minister until December 2012 and remains an influential politician in Montenegro today.
PRIMARY STRUGGLE/GOAL
NONVIOLENT TACTICS USED
DA TACTICS USED
Taunting officials
CASE NARRATIVE WRITER
SUCCESS METRICS
8 / 12
(MC) Media Coverage
(MSYMP) Media coverage was sympathetic to the activists
(PS) Dilemma action built sympathy with the public
(PUN) Punishment favored the activists
(REFR) Dilemma action reframed the narrative of the opponent
(RF) Dilemma action reduced fear and/or apathy among the activists
(SA) Dilemma action appealed to a broad segment of the public
Laugtivism
PART OF A LARGER CAMPAIGN
1 / 3
Activist group continued working together after the action
RESOURCES
Project documentation
Dilemma Actions Coding Guidebook
Case study documentation
Dilemma_Actions_Analysis_Dataset
SOURCES
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. 2012. “Montenegrins Wave Underwear In Protest,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://www.rferl.org/a/montenegro_underwear_protest/24553687.html).
Milosevic, Milena. 2012. “NEWS Activists Stage Underwear Protest in Montenegro,” Balkan in Sight. Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://balkaninsight.com/2012/04/19/underwear-warns-montenegrin-government/).
Related cases
May 2, 2018-2018
Armenia
In 2008, Serzh Sargsyan became president of Armenia. This led to a period of slow economic growth, high unemployment rates, and corruption. After Armenia switched to a...
/
Aug 1, 1999-1999
Republic of Serbia
The issue was the corruption of the Serbian government, focused on Milosevic’s control over the police, his wife controlling the party, and personal embezzlement. Otpo...
/
Dec 1, 1983-1984
Suriname
Civilians, especially workers, thought that the policies of Prime Minister Alibux’s Government were unfair. The government’s proposed acceptance of an economic p...
/
Subscribe to our newsletters to get full access to all materials on our website.