IS315_Week ELEVEN_2024

in the middle east

The Politics

of protest

IS315, Week ELEVEN, 2024Dr Nazanin Shahrokni

Start

Index

1. Song of the week

2. Q & A about posters

3. Protests: An analytical approach

4. Showtime: The Wanted 18

5. Discussion

song of the week Amir Eid - Matloob Zaeem

"A leader is needed"-- Cairokee. A song released before the first elections after the Egyptian revolution toppled Mubarak.

Q & A about posters

protests: an analytical approach

thinking about protests

Forms of Protest

Some are carefully planned and organized, led by charismatic figures or political organizations, while others emerge spontaneously, leaderless but fueled by collective grievances

Means of Protest

These can include direct confrontation (armed resistance or sabotage), institutional strategies (building NGOs or lobbying), or subtler, everyday acts of defiance (such as symbolic resistance, or economic boycotts)

Objectives of Protest

Some seek reforms within an existing system (e.g., better wages, expanded rights), others demand systemic revolution or independence. Many focus on specific issues such as environmental justice, gender rights, etc.

The Kurdish fight for autonomy spans several Middle Eastern nations, seeking self-determination against state resistance.

During the Arab Spring, protesters in Egypt used mass sit-ins (e.g., Tahrir Square) and creative methods like street art to challenge state narratives

Examples from the Middle East

Everyday acts of resistance could be seen during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom in Iran. But also see Joyriding in Riyadh

The Arab Spring Uprisings in Tunisia & Egypt were largely spontaneous. In contrast, the 1979 Iranian revolution was highly organized

Algerians engaged in an armed struggle against French colonial rule during the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962)

In Syria, peaceful protests in 2011 escalated into a violent civil war involving both state and non-state armed groups

the palestinian resistance movements

While violent acts dominated headlines, there were also ongoing efforts at non-violent resistance, though these were often overshadowed by the larger-scale violence.

The First Intifada (1987-1993) was a seminal example of largely non-violent resistance. Sparked by an accident involving Israeli forces and Palestinian workers, it quickly evolved into a widespread uprising. Palestinians employed tactics such as Mass Boycotts; Strikes; Graffiti & Leaflets; Community Building. These actions were decentralized, often organized by local committees rather than a single leadership structure. The Second Intifada (2000-2005), in contrast, was marked by a turn toward more violent forms of protest, including suicide bombings & armed confrontations. Sparked by Ariel Sharon’s controversial visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, this uprising reflected deeper frustrations with the failure of peace negotiations.

the wanted 18

The Wanted 18 recreates an astonishing true story: the Israeli army's pursuit of 18 cows, whose independent milk production on a Palestinian collective farm was declared "a threat to the national security of the state of Israel."

~In solidarity~

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor"