SSN Commentary

The Global Pandemic Has Spawned New Forms of Activism – And They’re Flourishing

Policy field

Connect with the author

University of San Diego
University of Nottingham

Originally Published as: Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, Erica Chenoweth, Jeremy Pressman, Felipe G Santos and Jay Ulfelder "The global pandemic has spawned new forms of activism – and they’re flourishingThe Guardian, April 20, 2020.

 

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the world was experiencing unprecedented levels of mass mobilization. The decade from 2010 to 2019 saw more mass movements demanding radical change around the world than in any period since the second world war. Since the pandemic struck, however, street mobilization – mass demonstrations, rallies, protests, and sit-ins – has largely ground to an abrupt halt in places as diverse as India, Lebanon, Chile, Hong Kong, Iraq, Algeria and the United States.