Banner drop

Banner drops are also a popular form of protest on university campuses. CCSU March, 2006.

A banner drop is the act of putting a banner in place as a protest tactic. The banner usually targets a specific corporation, law, political campaign, etc. The banner may itself be dropped on an activists' target, or in conjunction with the beginning of a campaign. For an example of all three, the November 20, 1999 banner drop at an Old Navy store in downtown Seattle publicized the company's use of sweatshop labor and was one of many protest activities carried out during the beginning of the Seattle WTO protests.

Performing a banner drop may constitute criminal vandalism and criminal trespassing depending on where the banner is placed and on the legal jurisdiction in which the activity occurred.

There are several ways in which banners are constructed and placed. Most often, a banner is decorated with an activist slogan or picture using paint, dye or, in some cases, screen printing. The banner is then often either tied to the target or secured to it using ropes and weights.