This post is about our thinkings of the signs in social movement, how it manifest personal identity and how it may bring us to a collective identity.

       On 6th Mar, 2020,  we conducted our first fieldwork in Brussels. It was a cold and rainy day, the first thing that catch our eyes, after we walked out of the central train station, is the colorful banners holding by amounts of people. To be honest, it’s the first time we have seen that many people in europe, even if the terrible weather, gathering  and manifesting together. We are so thrilled because all of us are from a different social context, especially in Thu’s and my country,  protests are prohibited. To our surprise, we never expect how creative human can be, even when they are angry. With that curiosity, we read carefully about every signs held by protestors. 

       Normally, the banners in protest are ‘direct captions’ that explicitly express the identity of individuals. The sentences are not hard to read or underdstand. The girl in the photo, with a giant smile, told us that her angle to solve the envirionemnt problem is to alleviate the rich/poverty gap. To some extent, she is against the capitalists, who only cares about how many profits can generate rather than the natural cost. As she writes: “Stop grilling the Planet, Start grilling the Rich”.  Besides that, her painting also enables us to perceive her meaning. It potrays the capitalist as a fat man, smocking a cigar and holding his money leisurely. To the contrary, we may all notice the burning planet. This package warns us about the global warming and indicate the concealed force.

Полицајци во цивилка ги запреа припадниците на „Шарена револуција“

(META)  Полицајци во цивилна облека вечерва по протестот ги сопреа припадниците на „Шарена револуција“ кај Соборниот храм и побарале да ги легитимираат. Активистите веднаш ги извадиле своите мобилни телефони и почнале да ги снимат припадниците на МВР. По ваквата реакција на активистите, припадниците на МВР, избегнувајќи ги камерите веднаш се повлекле. Видеото од целата случка на Фејсбук го објави…