protest vs affirm

protest is a noun but affirm is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
protest	Yes	No	Yes	No
affirm	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, affirm is a hypernym of protest; that is, affirm is a word with a broader meaning than protest:

Other hypernyms of protest include assert, aver, avow, swan, swear, verify.

protest (noun)	affirm (noun)
the act of protesting; a public (often organized) manifestation of dissent
a formal and solemn declaration of objection
the act of making a strong public expression of disagreement and disapproval

protest (verb)	affirm (verb)
utter words of protest	establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
affirm or avow formally or solemnly	to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
express opposition through action or words	say yes to