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New Age of Virtual Activism
According to Fahmi (2009), the new geography of protest is an amalgamation of physical and virtual geography. Unlike before, protestors can now articulate their dissent using online means. In what the writer refers to as ‘Hacktivists’ the new crop of social activists is made up of bloggers and hackers. Virtual geography has also taken the form of “networked social movements and hybrid spaces of freedom” (p.4). This however does not imply that activists have abandoned their old ways of articulating issues.
Fahmi (2009) offers experiences from Egypt in order to make his arguments. The country has been experiencing protests, boycotts and demonstrations over a number of issues. These virtual activists visit the scene of the demonstration to take pictures and conduct interviews. Later on, they post their findings on their blogs and many visitors get the opportunity to view. Unlike the mainstream media that shows a short clip of the protests, the blogs give details of the proceedings. The virtual protests have reinforced the functionality of physical protests because more people become aware of the plight of the protestors. It is about these blogs that the dates for future activism activities are publicized.
The influence of the social media in activism is as a result of its ability to join people from different backgrounds into one cause. Fahmi (2009) attributes the importance of social media to its wide audience. Street protests are good, but not good enough. Street protests will only feature a few people within the locality, the police, and if lucky, the media. More often than not, very few people know the reason(s) behind the protests. Some join in for the fun of it while others come under the invitation of their friends. However, social media has changed all that. Through blogging, cases of social injustices reach many people over a wide scope. Instances of police brutality, government incompetence, harsh economic times and social injustices will reach many people- including the unaffected.
A relationship between space and politics was evident in the 2006 pro-democracy rallies in Egypt. The protests took place at the Cairo European quarter. The space was contested between being a site for collective action and a symbol of urban youth participation in politics (Fahmi, 2009). The Tahrir Square was a symbol of liberation, and was significant to the activism. The last time people had protested at the space was in 1972. When a group of young activists calling themselves February 30th organized a sit- in at the square in 2006, the venue was filled to capacity because of its symbolic significance. Space mattered in this scenario because it represented the deep regard with which people held liberation. It reminded them of how past generations had fought for liberation.
History of activism in Egypt dates back to 1981 when the government came up with the emergency law (Fahmi, 2009). The draconian piece of legislation prohibited the organization of public rallies or the distribution of posters in the streets. The law was introduced by then president Hosni Mubarak to trample any form of resistance towards his regime. However, since there were no blogospheres during that time, the president did not ban them. Social media was (and still is) important in Egypt from 2005 to 2011. Activists who were denied the physical space for protests took to social media to air their grievances.
The blogosphere in Egypt was organized in such a manner that the bloggers also took part in street protests (Fahmi, 2009). Most of the bloggers were not just the normal people, but also journalists. They could take pictures and write stories regarding the protests on their blogs. In the end, social media led to the great revolution that led to the ousting of the tyrant, Hosni Mubarak. The narrative that social media led to the overthrowing of Mubarak is in the advantage of social media. It shows that social media is not only a tool for leisure, but can also be used in liberation.
Shaw has a different perspective of social media activism. While many see it as a tool for lazy activists that want to play it safe, Shaw (2013) sees many opportunities in social media for the modern day civil society. The writer notes that protest activity has been in place for decades, but it has not been stirring any change. Maybe it is time for new tactics, other than the old ones. Social media reaches many people, even those who are not interested in the subject. For instance, if the protest activity is about gay rights, it will only attract people who have an interest in the matter. However, on the social media platform, many people who had no interest in the matter can get the chance to join in.
In conclusion, Shaw (2013) says that activists should have the confidence to bring social change in today’s age. Despite being in the 21st Century, too many social injustices still prevail in our society. Shaw urges activists to use every means to fight injustice. He however makes it clear that he does not violate the number one rule of activism- media coverage alone is not enough. Using both old and new methods of fighting for justice, I think the current crop of activists has a shot in bringing social justice.
References
Fahmi W.S., (2009). Bloggers’ street movement and the right to the city. (Re)claiming Cairo’s real andvirtual ”spaces of freedom”. Environment and urbanization; 21(89).
Shaw, R., (2013). The Internet and Social Media: Maximizing the Power of Online Activism,” in the Activists Handbook. Berkeley: University of California Press