Hello dear reader,
Welcome to our blog, ‘One Year Since October 7th: Mapping Pro-Palestinian Protests in Europe’.
We – Joel, Sam, Clau, Panagiotis, Salih and Xanthia – are a team of students at Malmö University with a keen interest in digital activism and protests in light of the on-going war on Gaza and want to use this blog to map certain aspects of the protest movement across Europe.
In an era where most of us are now watching war, ethnic cleansing and genocide play out on our phones, content thrown our way which could either be cute cats in hats, or the destruction of entire residential buildings, we want to create a place where we can add some real context to what’s happening in our collective Insta-universe. In this blog, we’ll take you on a journey through the landscape of Pro-Palestinian activism across Europe, exploring how grassroots movements and protests are evolving in our respective cities, Vienna, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, and Nicosia.
We want to take a deep dive into how these movements are shaped by both historical and modern forces, including the lingering effects of colonialism and the ways these legacies continue to influence today’s political climate. We’ll also take a look into how Pro-Palestinian activism connects with other social movements and how these intersections offer a powerful perspective on the broader implications of solidarity movements, highlighting how diverse causes are linked through shared struggles!
A central theme in our exploration will be the role of digital activism. Through a range of posts, and hopefully perspectives(!), we’ll examine how online platforms have not only facilitated the mobilisation of activists but also created spaces for meaningful discourse, fostering connections across borders. At the same time, we’ll look at how digital spaces can amplify political divides, particularly between left- and right-wing groups, and how counter-protests have shaped these rifts. On that – we’ll need to think about the influence of media and propaganda, discussing how disinformation and media narratives impact public perception, shaping both support for and opposition to the movement.
Our goal is to give you a well-rounded look at Pro-Palestinian activism in Europe — how it’s connected to both local and global movements, and how it’s influenced by the fast-changing world of digital activism, drawing strength from interconnected struggles. We’ll be actively participating in some of these protests in our own cities and documenting everything for you as we go along.
Stick with us as we dive into these topics and unpack the complex world of (digital) activism today!
Comments
2 responses to “Welcome Post”
Thank you for bringing attention to this ongoing atrocity, and for reacting to the dehumanization of Palestinians (and now Lebanese, etc). I’ll follow very closely your chronicles of grassroots activism and the movements created across the digital sphere.
Here are the always wise words of Edward Said:
https://youtu.be/7g1ooTNkMQ4?feature=shared&t=211
And a video of a protest in Guernica, which has been a town incredibly active in organising demostrantions due to its parallel with bombings during the Spanish Civil War:
https://youtu.be/keYnmJHs2MM?feature=shared
Keep up the great work!
/Eva
Hi Eva!
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment!
Absolutely, the words of Edward Said are always with us here at our little blog. Oh wow, the protests in Guernica look incredible too – thank you for bringing them to our attention! (We’ll absolutely keep an eye on them!)
Wishing you a lovely Sunday,
Clau, Joel, Panagiotis, Sam, Oz, and Xanthia