P4C Levels of Protest

This downloadable one-lesson project uses a specific real-world protest in Barcelona to examine the moral limits of protest and the tension between activism and public order.

Designed using the Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach, the lesson centres on the October 2025 student-led demonstrations in support of Palestine, which began peacefully but later involved road blockages, property damage, and police intervention. Students are given clear factual context about what happened and why, while the focus remains on the right to protest rather than the geopolitical conflict itself.

Structured closed questions invite learners to take a clear position on whether actions such as blocking traffic or damaging property can ever be justified to highlight a serious cause. Open-ended questions then deepen the enquiry, encouraging students to explore where protests cross moral or legal boundaries, how far disruption can go before it becomes unacceptable, and how societies should balance protesters’ rights with the rights of the wider public.

The lesson requires minimal preparation and includes stimulus material, contrasting perspectives, and reflective prompts. It develops critical thinking, ethical reasoning, civic understanding, and respectful discussion within a single, focused session.

Ideal for secondary classrooms, this ready-to-use resource supports students in forming and articulating their own considered views on protest, responsibility, and how social change should be pursued.