Banners: Individual and Collective Expression

The banners are transported rolled up, their paint barely dry, to the rallying points of the demonstration: on one's shoulder, by motorcycle, sticking out of the partially open window of a minibus…

And the "letreros" as well, signs written hastily before leaving, on a board or a piece of cardboard: childish writing, awkward caricatures. Each "letrero" is assessed and commented on. The "letrero" has its specialists who would not dream of attending a demonstration without composing a new one.

While the political conflict becomes more serious, the "rota" counter culture --working-class, calmly crude, often sexual and provocative-- blossoms on "letreros."

But words are not the only means: thousands of sticks, poles and clubs are brandished with the banners. They bristle throughout the demonstration like warriors' lances in a Renaissance painting, so laughable considering the threat ahead…