Shanties, symbolic speech, and the public forum: ramshackle protection for free expression

Shanties, symbolizing student opposition to South African apartheid and the demand that United States universities divest from corporations doing business in South Africa, were the sit-ins of the 1980s. Silent but graphic, shanties challenged the established order and attracted media attention. Sometimes, like sit-ins, the impact of shanties provoked state officials to demand their removal. The resultant confrontations between protestors and officials both highlighted the demand for change and challenged the boundaries of first amendment law.