All I've seen on Instagram this week is posts about the violence between Israel and Palestine. Just like BLM, Sarah Everard, and China's Xinjiang internment camps, the Internet is coming together to fight injustice, but is it just going to fade out like another trend? Or will this be something that officials actually start listening to?
On Saturday afternoon, my friend and I decided we'd take a day trip to West London for the day. As we moved further into Hyde Park, more and more people started to surround us, all of them holding placards that read 'stop the violence' and 'save Palestine'. We even saw a runner dressed head to toe in Palestinian flags. Little did we know that 15 minutes later, as we hit Kensington High Street, we'd be met with masses of protestors, most of which were not wearing face masks. It was too late to turn back.
It took us 30 minutes to walk about 5 minutes. Correction: we weren't walking, we were being pushed in all directions. It was an amazing, yet terrifying experience. People were angry. They still are angry. Some were sad, some were shouting, and some were shedding tears in desperation. The world is angry at what is happening, but there isn't a lot that it can do. So, even amid a global pandemic, people turn to the streets of their own cities and march.
It was amazing to see so many people there. But with my (minimal) experience with protests, I'm not sure cramming into a small section of Kensington High Street, forcing a number of people to collapse, is the most effective use of our time. I'm all for protests, and I think it's better to stand up and shout than it is to post black screens on Instagram, or repost videos of the violence in Palestine — but there must be a better way of doing it.
In an increasingly more political world, and with the younger generations becoming more and more literate regarding the events and affairs that dictate their future, I think social media has become a tool that we often abuse. Sometimes, it sparks rage in people that would otherwise remain untouched by events like this conflict.
So, next time you decide to repost something on your social media, or join a march that claims will make the British government change something about Middle Eastern affairs, just ask yourself: is this the right way to impact these people's lives? Because if the answer is no, it doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything.
It means you should like for another way around.