Manifestants

Manifestants are individuals who take part in public demonstrations to express a political, social, or economic grievance. The term is derived from the French word manifestant, meaning someone who makes a demonstration or expresses a public claim. In English-language reporting, the equivalents are protesters or demonstrators; manifestants is commonly used in French-language contexts and in translations of French sources.

Participants may include workers, students, activists, or members of civil society; demonstrations can be organized by unions, advocacy groups, political parties, or informal coalitions. Common activities include carrying signs, chanting slogans, delivering speeches, and marching through streets to attract attention and influence public opinion or policy. Most demonstrations are nonviolent, but they can entail security challenges, police interventions, or clashes, depending on the political climate and crowd dynamics.

Legally, the right to assemble and demonstrate is protected in many countries but is subject to restrictions on safety, order, and traffic. Authorities may impose permits, time limits, routes, or venue rules. The identity and reception of manifestants vary widely by context, with some protests broadly supported and others met with condemnation or criminal charges. Scholars analyze manifestants in terms of collective action, social movements, and protest repertoires.

See also: protest, demonstration, civil disobedience, freedom of assembly.