Sound—chanting, singing, playing, banging casseroles or drums by demonstrators—plays an important part in street protests. The mode or conception of this sonic participation changes according to circumstances. This article considers the factors that shape sonic participation in protests. Starting with ethnomusicologist Thomas Turino’s concept of performance as presentational or participatory, I examine the ways in which sociopolitical circumstances, policing, urban acoustics, and landscape shape protest performance and participation. Drawing from field work, I analyze an unusual feature of many Japanese protests: the sound demonstration (demo), featuring a sound truck, piled high with speakers and sound equipment, upon which DJs, rappers, and bands perform. The constraints placed by the police and the urban environment push Japanese protesters toward tactics that maximize visibility and participation—tactics that differ from those seen in U.S. protests.
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