Drama, theatricality, performance, call it what you will; the use of wild creativity to convey a message to the public has been a long held tradition of protest culture.

From the musical opposition of Woodie Guthrie and Paul Robeson to the acid-inspired art divined by student radicals in the 1960s, dissenting voices often rely on a mechanism of attraction to get the public to look first, and take them seriously later... maybe.

In the build up to Vancouver's 2010 Olympics, activists have plastered the city with posters, graffiti, stickers and host of other visuals in an effort to distract attention from VANOC'S big show and onto their array of causes.

During the first few days of protest against the Olympics, Tyee reporter Justin Langille was out at rallies and demonstrations to find out why dressing up for a demonstration is still a way for many people to get noticed and have their voices heard.