ESL Podcast 427 - Planning a Protest

protest - something that a person or a group of people do to show that they think something is wrong or unfair

The students want to have a protest against the war.

hold on - an expression used to mean "wait a minute," or to ask someone to slow down or stop for a short period of time

Hold on! Could you please explain what you just said a little more before you continue?

to voice (something) - to express something through speaking; to let other people know what one thinks or what one's opinion is about something

If we don't voice our opinion, no one will know what we think about the issue.

to oppose (something) - to be against something; to think that something is wrong or a bad idea and should be stopped or changed

The senator is opposed to the new law and plans to vote against it.

rally - a large meeting with many people in a public place, usually so that those people can show their support or opposition to a law or a political idea

There's a big rally downtown today where hundreds of people have gathered to protest against the new immigration laws.

to take to the streets - to do something in public, usually to express an opinion; to do something that is very visible so that other people can see it, often a gathering or a protest

The workers don't like the new pay cuts and are taking to the streets to show the management how they feel.

to coordinate (something) - to organize something, especially an event that involves many people; to do all the preparation so that something else will happen

Olivia's parents coordinated most of the wedding, making the preparations for the flowers, food, musicians, and more.

to show up - to attend an event; to come to a place where one is expected

How many people showed up at the lecture last night?

to march - to walk down a street as part of a large, organized group, usually to send a message to other people

Hundreds of women marched through the streets after dark in a "Take Back the Night" protest after there were a few nighttime attacks against women.

to hold up a sign - to use one's arm to hold onto a stick attached to a large piece of thick paper with a message on it so that other people can read it, especially as part of a protest

The little girl held up a sign that said, "Don't fire our teachers!"

to pull it all off - to be able to do something that is difficult; to successfully complete something that is difficult

Nobody thought that Ilia would be able to work, study, and raise her children at the same time, but somehow she pulled it all off.

Don't get me wrong - a phrase used to show that one doesn't want what he or she is going to say next to be misunderstood

Don't get me wrong. I like spending time with friends as much as anyone else, but it's also nice to have some time alone.

in favor of - in support of; wanting something to happen or wanting to do something

Would you be in favor of paying higher taxes so that the library can buy more books?

half-assed - mediocre; not well done; only partially done

Steve did a half-assed job of washing the car, so his father made him wash it again.

media coverage - press coverage; news stories in newspapers, magazines, television, and the radio about a particular person or event

This newspaper has a lot of media coverage of local events, but not very much about things that happen internationally.

counter protest - a protest that goes against another group's protest; a protest where a group of people show that they disagree with another group that is already protesting

The people who protested against scientists who were doing experiments on animals were surprised when the scientists had a counter protest of their own.

to take (something) lying down - to accept something bad that happens without fighting against it or without showing that one disagrees with it

The government wants to increase our taxes again, but we won't take it lying down!

let's get down to business - a phrase used to show that one is ready to start working on something important; a phrase used to show that one does not want to delay something any longer

We have a lot of topics to cover in today's meeting, so let's get down to business.