Colombians have planned a national “cacerolazo” [1] for 6 p.m. Colombian time today, September 4, 2013. A cacerolazo is a form of popular protest in which people express their agreement with an issue by making noise and banging pots (cacerolas), pans and kitchen utensils, or other items that can be used to create sound.
Using the Twitter hashtag #CacerolazoPor [2] users express their reasons to take to the streets.
Paola Ochoa Rivera invites the protest to move from the virtual to the physical:
#CacerolazoPor [2] más protestas en la calle y menos twitter
— Paola Ochoa Rivera (@VisosVioleta) September 4, 2013 [3]
#CacerolazoPor [2] more protests in the street and fewer on Twitter
Tefy expresses her hope for a more fair nation:
#CacerolazoPor [2] un país mas justo
— tefy (@teffypuentes) September 4, 2013 [4]
#CacerolazoPor [2] a more just country
Meanwhile, Tatu García discusses the dignity of Colombian society:
#CacerolazoPor [2] la dignidad de mi Pueblo
— Tatu Garcia (@tatugarcia17) September 4, 2013 [5]
#CacerolazoPor [2] the dignity of my society
Santiago mentions his disagreement with the national government's efforts and strategies:
#CacerolazoPor [2] el mal gobierno de Santos y por arrodillado al imperio y sus multinacionales
— santiago (@santilandia0102) September 4, 2013 [6]
#CacerolazoPor [2] Santos's bad government and for kneeling in front of the empire and multinationals
And Stephanie states that participation in the “cacerolazo” is an act of solidarity with the nation's farmers, who have been on strike since August 19 [7]:
#CacerolazoPor [2] #YaEsHora [8] de solidarizarse con los campesinos y sus justas luchas salir de las pantallas a la realidad VIVA EL PARO AGRARIO
— stephanie (@stephanieconh) September 4, 2013 [9]
It is time to act in solidarity with the farmers and their justified struggles, get away from the screens and into reality LONG LIVE THE AGRARIAN STRIKE
For Camila Andrea, the protest serves as a call to work toward a better country:
#CacerolazoPor [2] Tener un mejor país para todos y para las personas de un futuro !!
— Camila Andrea (@CamiAndreDiaz) September 4, 2013 [10]
#CacerolazoPor [2] To have a better country for everyone and people in the future!!
And in Catalina Gualdron's opinion, the protest is justified by the complex reality of life in Colombia:
#CacerolazoPor [2] Un pueblo lleno de malos servicios, en salud, educación, agro… #YaEsHora [8] del cambio! @JuanManSantos [11] @marchapatriota [12]
— Cata Gualdron † (@Cata_G95) September 4, 2013 [13]
#CacerolazoPor [2] A country filled with terrible services, in health, education, agriculture… #YaEsHora [8] It's time for a change!
However, Juan Sebastián believes that many people simply tweet about the cacerolazo to get favorites for their tweets:
#CacerolazoPor [2] Falta de Fav's (?).
— Juɑn Sebɑstiɑn. (@JuanSebastiann_) September 4, 2013 [14]
#CacerolazoPor [2] Lack of Favorites (?).
Finally, the Fuerza Común account shares this poster:
#CacerolazoPor [2] las calles, por veredas. Vamos con toda contra las políticas que han despojado a Colombia @PaisComun [15] pic.twitter.com/VPDZuoE3gM [16]
— Fuerza Común (@fuerzacomun) September 4, 2013 [17]
#CacerolazoPor [2] the streets, through side walks. We go all-out against the policies that have stripped Colombia of everything @PaisComun [15] pic.twitter.com/VPDZuoE3gM [16]
Stay tuned for further posts about Colombia's agricultural strike, which has already been in effect for 17 days.