Names and Colors of Revolutions

Names of revolutions of centuries past lack fizzle.  The French, American, Russian, and Philippine Revolutions, though colored red with blood, are names that seem bland now that more recent revolts are called with symbols or colors.

The series of revolutions in Eastern Europe in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s started with the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Prague, capital of what was then Czechoslovakia. A peaceful student demonstration was attacked by the police, fanning the ember into a fireball that collapsed the communist regime.  Playwright Vaclav Havel became president of a country that later divided itself into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The then Yugoslavia, too, had street protests in 2000 against its president. That movement for change was called the Bulldozer Revolution because one of the protestors died, crushed by a bulldozer.

The year 2003 saw Georgia with its Rose Revolution that followed disputed legislative elections and led to the overthrow of its president. A year after, in Ukraine, street protests, now known as the Orange Revolution, were made against the presidential election results.

A more violent revolution in Kyrgyztan followed its 2005 parliamentary elections. Protesters in this Central Asian country were more fragmented though, with  different colors for their protests in different areas. These were collectively called the Tulip Revolution.

Most of the eastern European revolts were started by student movements that were serious about non-violence, used humor and ridicule, and color.  A youth group in Azerbaijan called Yox! that chose the color green had declared in 2005 that it wants the entire system of government changed to heal the country of corrupt leaders.

Protesters against President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus at the start used white and red for their banners.  Early this year, they cut up blue jeans into ribbons, displayed these publicly, and called their movement the Denim Revolution.

Lukashenko for his part had his piece against such revolutions: ‘In our country, there will be no pink or orange, or even banana revolution…   They think that Belarus is ready for some orange or, what is a rather frightening option, blue or cornflower blue revolution…  All these colored revolutions are pure and simple banditry.’

For a while, the name Grape Revolution was considered for a movement in Moldova, a country abundant with vineyards.  The movement fizzled out because the opposition is fractured and its demands were co-opted by the existing administration.

In March 2005, street protesters in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator wore yellow scarves while a Farmer’s Revolution was considered by a leader of an  opposition party in Uzbekistan.

Revolution symbols and colors didn’t spare the Middle East.  Lebanon had the Cedar Revolution that demanded the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country.  Kuwait in 2005 meanwhile used the color blue in their signs for demonstrations that demanded for women’s right to vote, which was granted.  Kuwaiti women can begin voting in the 2007 parliamentary elections.  Expectedly, the demonstrations were called the Blue Revolution.

The name Purple Revolution of Iraq didn’t pick up.  First used by hopeful commentators, it is said to have been used also by US President George Bush  to describe the entry of democracy to Iraq after the 2005 Iraqi legislative elections.  The color purple was what stained the voters’ index fingers to prevent multiple voting, something we’re very familiar with.

And while we’re at it, we might as well recall our own moment in 1986.  The yellow revolt a.k.a. People Power or Edsa Revolution evolved into Edsa I because there was an Edsa II that toppled another president.

It is said that a six-year term is too short for a good president and too long for a bad one. Unseen forces that make a revolution are nebulous, though.

Legitimacy, thus, rests on unity in a shared cause, like total discontent or righteous indignation, maybe, but not raw ambition by a few interest groups.
But since our elections tend to have no losers, only winners and those who are cheated, both by whatever means, the latter resort to the streets.  Too bad the flush of Edsa I (said as Edsa Uno) is long gone.  Edsa II (Edsa Dos) may have its success, but the repeat of an unconstitutional means to topple a presidency was more insipid than inspiring.  Karl Marx was right; history repeats itself, the first is tragedy, the second is farce.

Efforts at Edsa Tres may still be simmering.  Heaven forbid that subsequent elections may have Edsa Cuatro, Cinco, Seis, all the way up to Cuarenta y Dos, Cinco, or Nueve.  By then, ours shall  have become the Lotto Revolution.

(May 2006)