Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho, led marches against their club owner or pushed back against plans to commercialize the sport, fans have a long history of using their passion for football as a powerful tool in the fight for change. From celebrating random tourists as if they were new signings to boycotting games and even threatening to scuttle the pitch, these fan protest stories are proof that fan activism is far from a passing fad.

West Ham supporters took to the streets in their thousands before their Premier League match with Crystal Palace on Sunday to protest against how the club is run. Messages on flags and banners urged the club’s board to “just resign” and told them they had been sold a dream and were living a nightmare at London Stadium.

A similar protest was held by Lazio supporters earlier this season after the club’s chairman and vice-chairman resigned. The ultras then vowed to hit the club in the pocket by boycotting matches and threatening to sack their manager, a move that ultimately forced Claudio Lotito from the Stadio Olimpico.

It’s not unusual for fans to protest their clubs, but it is rare for them to take such drastic action. In the past, Black fans used their passion for football as a tool in the Civil Rights Movement by boycotting games and plastering local newspapers with calls to action and pickets. Those tactics allowed them to maintain protests over extended periods of time.