🗣️ What Is “¡Habla como luchas!”?
“¡Habla como luchas!” means Speak the way you fight! — not like a textbook robot, but like someone who’s fired up, fed up, and ready to hit the streets. This is Spanish for Protesting: Speak the Way You Fight — the kind of Spanish that lives in chants, marches, kitchen-table debates, and late-night revolución talk. Not tourist phrases. Not grammar drills. Just real words for real struggle. But, does anybody teach that nowadays? Yes, Kasa de Franko does! Learn with them:
Real Life Spanish! Blunt Spanish for the streets!
Forget the Textbook — This Is How Spanish Sounds in the Streets. In this guide, you’ll learn how protests actually sound in Latin America — not the polite, polished stuff, but the raw language of resistance.
We’re talking chants that echo through the streets, verbs that demand action, signs that sting, and phrases that shake governments and wake up entire neighborhoods. It’s emotional. It’s urgent. It’s direct.
So are you ready to learn…
This Spanish for Protesting: Speak the Way You Fight.
Because Language is a Form of Protest!
So if you want to speak Spanish like someone who gives a damn — about justice, freedom, or simply not being silenced — this is for you. Learn the words that move crowds, rattle power, and say what needs to be said. Loudly.
Because language is a form of protest. And yours should sound like it means it.
✊ Why Learn Protest Spanish?
Because language is power. In Latin America, words aren’t just for talking — they’re for marching, for resisting, for surviving.
When you speak the language of protest, you’re not just learning Spanish — you’re showing up. You’re saying, “Estoy contigo.” You’re refusing to stay silent.
📣 KEY PROTEST VOCABULARY IN SPANISH
El vocabulario esencial para protestar en español
Protests speak in chants, banners, and bold declarations. This is your essential guide to understanding (and using) Spanish protest vocabulary. Whether you’re at a march in Latin America or reading headlines, this glossary will help you follow the conversation.
🔥 General Terms
Palabras generales
These are the most common words used in protests. They describe the event, the action, or the collective movement behind it.
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| la protesta / la manifestación | protest |
| la marcha | march |
| la huelga | strike |
| la movilización | mobilization |
| la resistencia | resistance |
| el movimiento | movement |
| el activismo | activism |
| el pueblo | the people |
| la causa | cause |
| la lucha | struggle / fight |
🗣️ Common Verbs
Verbos comunes
These verbs describe the actions people take during a protest: shouting, marching, demanding, or resisting.
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| protestar | to protest |
| manifestarse | to demonstrate |
| marchar | to march |
| gritar | to shout |
| apoyar | to support |
| denunciar | to denounce |
| reclamar | to claim / demand |
🔥 Most Common Protest Verbs
These verbs do the heavy lifting in chants, slogans, graffiti, and interviews. Learn how they move through tenses and how they build collective identity.
| Verbo (Español) | Traducción (Inglés) | Frase |
|---|---|---|
| Resistir | to resist | Resistimos, resistiremos |
| Luchar | to fight / struggle | La lucha sigue |
| Exigir | to demand | Exigimos justicia |
| Denunciar | to report / expose | Denunciamos la corrupción |
| Callar | to silence | No nos callarán |
| Recordar | to remember | Para que no se repita |
| Desaparecer | to disappear someone | ¿Dónde están? |
📋 Common Phrases & Chants
Frases comunes y consignas
These are the chants you’ll hear on the streets. They’re powerful, emotional, and direct.
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| ¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido! | The people united will never be defeated! |
| ¡Ni uno más! | Not one more! |
| ¡Justicia para [nombre]! | Justice for [name]! |
| ¡Abajo la represión! | Down with repression! |
| ¡Fuera corruptos! | Out with the corrupt! |
| ¡Queremos justicia! | We want justice! |
| ¡No nos callarán! | They won’t silence us! |
| ¡Sí se puede! | Yes, we can! |
| ¡Libertad de expresión! | Freedom of speech! |
👮♂️ State Reaction & Repression
Reacción del estado / represión
This is the language used to describe how governments often respond to protest movements—with control, censorship, or violence.
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| la policía antidisturbios | riot police |
| el gas lacrimógeno | tear gas |
| la detención | arrest |
| el arresto ilegal | unlawful arrest |
| la brutalidad policial | police brutality |
| el toque de queda | curfew |
| los derechos humanos | human rights |
| el abuso de poder | abuse of power |
| la censura | censorship |
🪧 Common Items Used in Protests
Objetos comunes en las manifestaciones
These are the items people carry to express themselves, stay safe, or organize.
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| el cartel / la pancarta | sign / placard |
| el megáfono | megaphone |
| la consigna | chant / slogan |
| la barricada | barricade |
| la máscara | mask |
| la bandera | flag |
| el chaleco reflectante | reflective vest |
🧑🏽🤝🧑🏿 Groups and Actors
Grupos y actores sociales
These are the people and institutions involved in protest movements—from grassroots organizers to NGOs and the media.
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| el/la activista | activist |
| el/la organizador(a) | organizer |
| el colectivo | collective |
| la comunidad | community |
| la asamblea | assembly |
| el sindicato | labor union |
| la ONG | NGO |
| los medios de comunicación | media |
| el gobierno / el estado | government / state |
🗣️ Quick Street Vocabulary: What You’ll Hear in 2 Minutes
Vocabulario callejero rápido
A compact list of the most frequent words you’ll hear in protests and banners. Perfect for quick review. Each term comes with its English meaning and a short explanation to help you understand it in context.
| Español | English | Context Explanation (in English) |
|---|---|---|
| protesta | protest | When people gather to show disagreement with something. |
| manifestación | demonstration / rally | A public gathering to demand something or express a view. |
| marcha | march | Walking together to make a cause visible. |
| huelga | strike | Stopping work to demand rights or protest. |
| pancarta | sign / banner | What you hold up with your demands written in big letters. |
| represión | repression | When the state responds with force to silence people. |
| justicia | justice | What many people ask for when things are not right. |
| libertad | freedom / liberty | A word people shout when they want to live without fear. |
📢 Real-Life Protest Chants From Peru
Consignas reales de las protestas en Perú
These chants were heard on the streets of Peru during recent social uprisings. Each one reflects a demand, a feeling, or a collective call to action.
| Spanish Chant | English Translation | Meaning / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Vamos pueblo carajo, el pueblo no se rinde carajo | Come on people, dammit, the people won’t give up | Encouraging collective strength and resistance. |
| Para el pueblo lo que es del pueblo porque el pueblo se lo ganó | What belongs to the people should stay with them | Reclaiming rights and resources. |
| La sangre derramada jamás será olvidada | The spilled blood will never be forgotten | Honoring those who suffered or died. |
| Perú, te quiero, por eso te defiendo | Peru, I love you, that’s why I defend you | A patriotic call to action. |
| Urgente, urgente, cierren el Congreso | Urgent, urgent, shut down Congress | Demanding political change. |
| Cusco aprende, la patria se defiende | Cusco, take note, the homeland must be defended | Regional call to unity. |
| Aquí y allá, el miedo se acabó | Here and there, fear is over | Celebrating courage in the face of repression. |
| Amigo escucha, únete a la lucha | Friend, listen, join the fight | Calling bystanders to take action. |
| A ti que estás mirando, también te están matando | You who are watching, they’re killing you too | A warning against apathy. |
| Siempre de pie, nunca de rodillas | Always standing tall, never on our knees | Defiant stance against oppression. |
| Chulla sunqulla, chulla kallpalla | One heart, one force (in Quechua) | Indigenous unity chant. |
| Dina asesina, el pueblo te repudia | Dina [Boluarte] is a murderer, the people reject you | Direct accusation toward the president. |
| Somos campesinos, no somos terroristas | We are farmers, not terrorists | Responding to being falsely labeled. |
| El pueblo está en las calles por culpa del gobierno | The people are on the streets because of the government | Blaming the state for unrest. |
| La patria no se vende, la patria se defiende | The homeland is not for sale, it’s to be defended | Against privatization or foreign exploitation. |
| No somos uno, no somos dos, somos todo el pueblo a una sola voz | We’re not one, not two, we are all the people united | Asserting collective power. |
| Estos son, aquí están, los que siempre lucharán | These are the ones who will always fight | Celebrating the brave who take to the streets. |
🧬 Real Talk: Code-Switching Happens
Protest speech isn’t textbook Spanish. It’s raw. It mixes slang, Spanglish, Indigenous words, even English.
You might hear a chant in Spanish — and then a Quechua phrase. Or see a protest sign in half-English. It’s all part of the rhythm. Resistance doesn’t ask for grammar checks.
Examples:
Chulla sunqulla (Quechua for “Only my heart remains”)
¡El pueblo woke! (Spanish + activist slang)
¡No pasarán, carajo! (Spanish + Peruvian flavor)
🧩 Structure of a Protest Phrase
Most protest phrases are short, punchy, rhythmic — made to be shouted. Here’s what you’ll often see:
| [Subject] + [verb in present/future] |
|---|
| ¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido! |
| [Imperative] + [noun or adverbial phrase] |
|---|
| ¡Exige justicia! |
| Parallelism (repetition) |
|---|
| ¡Ni perdón, ni olvido! |
| Rhyme or alliteration |
|---|
| Con falda o pantalón, respétame cabrón |
🗣️ Cómo responder: What to say when you’re there
You don’t have to know every chant — but you can respond with presence and respect.
| Spanish | English | Use it when… |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Presente! | Here / Present! | Honoring someone who’s passed. |
| ¡Eso! | That’s right! / Hell yeah! | Agreeing with what someone said. |
| ¡Así es! | Exactly / That’s how it is | Affirming the truth. |
| ¿Qué está pasando? | What’s going on? | Asking for info. |
| ¿Por qué marchan? | Why are they marching? | Curious but respectful. |
| Estoy contigo. | I’m with you. | Showing solidarity. |
🎨 Visual Resistance: Protest on the walls
Not all protest is shouted. Some is painted. Some is stickered. Some is meme’d.
✍🏾 Look out for:
- Graffiti: “El miedo no nos paraliza” (Fear doesn’t paralyze us)
- Posters: “Justicia para [nombre]”
- Instagram memes calling out politicians
- Murals of martyrs and icons
Protest is art. Protest is public. If it shocks you, that’s the point.
🌈 Other Voices, Other Fights: Feminist & LGBTQ+ Resistance
This ain’t just about politics — it’s about survival. Women and queer folks fight with language, too.
🔥 Feminist chants:
- ¡Ni una menos! (Not one less)
- ¡Nos están matando! (They are killing us)
- Con falda o pantalón, respétame cabrón (Skirt or pants — respect me, asshole)
🌈 LGBTQ+ voices:
- Amor es amor (Love is love)
- Orgullo y resistencia (Pride and resistance)
- Trans y vivas nos queremos (We want trans folks alive and thriving)
Your Spanish grows when your solidarity does.
🧠 Final thought: Learn the fight, not just the words
Protest Spanish isn’t about sounding cool.
It’s about listening to the people who don’t get listened to. It’s about saying “yo te creo” when the world gaslights them. It’s about showing up — with your words, your heart, and your actions.
If you speak this language, speak it with respect.
And if you’re still learning — keep listening.
🔁 What Next?
If you found this glossary useful, check out our other spicy, rebellious, and unapologetically bilingual articles that take street language to the next level:
- Learn Spanish with Sexy Phrases
- Language Bloopers
- Legends, Traditions & Folktales
- Geo & Politics in Spanish
- Alcohol rhymes with Spanyol
➡️ Also Read:
- “No te metas con mi Poosie” – How reclaiming words gives communities power.
- “No te metas con mis shuevos” – Genitals, pride, and resistance: Spanish expressions that protest with guts.
➡️ Support & Learn:
- Join our weekly live online workshop “¡Habla como luchas!”. Learn Spanish through protest chants, political memes, festivals, traditions, legends, folktales and Latin American street culture.
- Follow us @kasadefranko for more bold, bilingual, and unapologetically honest content.
- Visit us on Kasa de Franko or KiDeeF Spanish to learn more about our classes.
