ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on video-activism as a tool employed by contemporary political activists. We look at the case of the Greek anarchist group Rouvikonas (Rubicon) for the purpose of examining the methods it employs in order to challenge power, communicate its causes and identity, and gain the public’s attention. Rouvikonas capitalizes on the affordances of new media technologies, through the creation of videos that capture the group’s protest activities which are then broadcasted on its own YouTube channel. Through a mixed, qualitative and quantitative, content analysis of Rouvikonas’ YouTube videos, we contribute to current literature on video activism studies by highlighting its potentials and significance for small-scale mobilization. The chapter is divided into five parts. First, we offer the context for our discussion by presenting Rouvikonas and by providing insight about Greece’s protest culture. Second, a review of current literature on visual rhetoric and video-activism better explain the design of the coding scheme that is later discussed in the methods (part three). Finally, the findings and discussion consist of three interrelated areas of discussion, namely (a) visual rhetoric in resistance strategy and tactics, (b) communicating Rouvikonas’ collective identity, and (c) cinematic techniques. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the main research findings.
