MULTIMODAL RESOURCES IN PROTEST PLACARDS AND VISUAL IMAGES: A SOCIAL SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF THE 2024 ASUU NAU PROTEST

Abstract

This study investigates the use of multimodal resources in protest placards, focusing on those employed during the ASUU NAU protest march in July 2024. Previous research on multimodal resources in ASUU protests has largely focused on newspaper representations, online memes, and cartoons depicting the 2022 nationwide ASUU strike. Therefore, the present study shifts scholarly attention to the multimodal elements of protest placards used by a specific ASUU branch, aiming to fill a gap in knowledge and expand the scope of this emerging area of inquiry. Using Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) social semiotic theory, the study analyzes fourteen protest placards embedded in five visual images. These images were collected through participant observation and form the basis of a qualitative analysis. Findings reveal that the placards and images are constructed using a range of semiotic and multimodal resources, including written text (capital letters), bold fonts, selective colours (e.g., red to signify danger or urgency, green to denote dignity), bodily gestures (such as raised fists), gaze (direct or averted), and spatial composition (e.g., crowds versus individuals). These resources are purposefully employed to communicate various messages. The study concludes that the protest placards construct meaning through an interplay of multimodal elements—written text, colour, composition, and embodied presence—which collectively convey urgency and legitimacy. Additionally, the protest images function as a strategic semiotic practice, effectively articulating the lecturers’ grievances and aspirations to the public.