Whose Streets? - New project maps local history of resistance

“There’s a sense of solidarity between different types of protesters. Those with a long history, who feel comfortable coming out onto the streets; those who've previously not done anything like it before, or a community that feels marginalised. It’s hugely important that people can participate in different ways according to the resources they have at that moment.” Pollyanna Ruiz, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex, is interested in how movements affect political change.

The power of ordinary people coming out into the streets is vital at a moment like this.”

From campaigning to direct action, people have used different forms of opposition and protest to force their voices to be heard in the mainstream. The different ways we organise forms the basis of Ruiz’s current research project – especially how autonomous demonstrations can seemingly bubble up without warning. “Recently, it feels that it's never been more important…or under threat.” She tells me there’s a normalisation in what may previously have been called ‘far right’ ways of thinking. “It feels important to find ways of countering that. The power of ordinary people coming out into the streets is vital at a moment like this.”

Politics coloured by populism or grievance-based narratives isn’t limited to the UK. Across the world, conversations around topics like immigration and what constitutes freedom of speech overshadow concerns over the economy, public health and education.

An increasingly partisan media environment, where attention is more valuable than objectivity, is helping push certain rhetoric. Familiar angry media personalities and the language of division seem to be drowning out the voices of the compassionate or thoughtful. Mass protests have provided a method for those lacking a weekly column in a national newspaper to get themselves heard.

“People want to register their disapproval. If it isn't going to be heard through the mainstream channels, then the street has always been where people make themselves heard. That is protest. It's people who aren't being heard, finding a space to speak.”

Against this landscape, Ruiz suggests grassroots activism is more important than ever. When people who aren’t traditionally politically-engaged take to the streets, it can be even more powerful. Evidence of this was seen at counter-protests in Brighton last year. The summer had been marred by civil disturbances, following the murder of three young children in Southport. When rumours suggested a business on Brighton’s Queen’s Road was to be targeted by rioters, hundreds of locals turned out to prevent access to the building.

“There's going to be more need for a collective response to the rise of populism.”

“We saw people who might not describe themselves as activists, or even attend a protest, who thought: ‘Okay, this is a moment where I need to come out into the street and demonstrate that this is not something for our town.’ That kind of community response was incredibly powerful.”  

Ruiz says Brighton & Hove has a tradition of anti-fascist and anti-racist activism. “We need to think about how we can harness that. There's going to be more need for a collective response to the rise of populism.”

While the city is arguably less diverse than most UK cities, it has fostered a reputation for being somewhere anyone can live and gently push boundaries. From the Prince Regent and his pleasure palace to annual Pride marches, it’s a place where the status quo can be challenged. “With that willingness to be a bit different, there’s a willingness to stand up and act together.”

The project is bringing its work to Brighton Festival, taking up residence at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery on Tue 20 - Sun 25 May. Whose Streets? Mapping Places, Mapping Protests will be crowd-sourcing people’s experiences of resistance in the area, building a clearer picture of local activism in all its forms. “These don't even have to be from an actual protest. It could be someone watching them on television or hearing friends talk about it.”

With the aid of an artist, all of the contributions will be immortalised on a map of the city, creating a collage of communities. “I'm hoping this will show us not just the space outside the station where the protests take place, but also where it bubbles up. Is it in the Cowley Club? Is it in different pubs or different bookshops?”

She tells me even her street’s group WhatsApp was talking about the counter-demonstrations last summer. Protests rarely spontaneously materialise in our city centres. There are conversations between like-minded people and preparation. A big part of the project is analysing the motivations for people becoming involved, and how that can be taken forward as a community. “It's really looking forward to the future. How do we carry that energy forward, so that we can keep Brighton as we want it to be?”

Direct action relies on sharing data and ideas, which is increasingly facilitated through digital networks. Inevitably, there can be small amounts of misinformation due to the lack of ‘formal routes’. “I think activists do a good job at going through things until they can establish what is really happening, and then communicate that outward.” With events like those seen last summer, there’s also a focal point demanding our attention.

“I think we had a moment where we all saw things on the telly and people came out. But in the quiet moments, activists are still working, holding meetings and gathering emails, so next time they're as ready as they can be.” It might not be like it was in the old days, but there is a digital structure there which can spring into being when needed. “I remember going with my mum to Greenham Common CND marches, and participating in protests around apartheid in South Africa. So right from childhood, I would say, protest has been a part of my life.”  

When she was a youngster, it was more of a great day out, but she started understanding the various issues as she grew up. “When I had my children, that kind of activism became harder to do. And when you have a job and a mortgage… Studying it academically became a way of doing activism and also living my life.”

“Bringing in all of those stories together is so important.”

This kind of activism has made a valuable contribution to our society. But not all endeavours are recorded in history books. “I've been talking to different community groups for this process, and one of the things that has become really clear is that it's quite easy to slip into a view of those protests. It’s also easy to be self-congratulatory, or say: ‘Look how great Brighton is…’ I don't want to diminish things, but we need to remember that, for some members of the Brighton & Hove community, (last summer) was a really frightening time. There were people who thought their offices were going to get burned. There were people who were afraid in their houses. There were businesses being harassed for weeks afterwards, and continue to be harassed now. I think bringing in all of those stories together is so important.”  

Ruiz tells me the less positive or shiny parts stories are easy to forget. Particularly if they’re being told by members of the community who’ve less agency, which is why she’s become interested in presenting them front and centre in her work. “I don’t want us to just see protest as a fun day out, as I saw it as a child, but remember there is serious, difficult work that people are struggling with on a day-to-day basis.”

The make-up of protest has a direct impact on both its effectiveness and the response to it from the authorities. “If only the young, fit and child-free go along, then that is going to be policed in a particular way. And it's going to be represented in a particular way. But if you have that big range of people, it really is the local community. People can see it’s the city responding, which makes it more powerful.”

Accompanying the installation at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is an upcoming digital version of the map. “I hope that people can continue to upload memories in the future. Then it can become an ongoing record of these protests in Brighton. My dream is that loads of people respond to this, whether it's just a couple of lines, an essay or a picture that they took…”

The Festival of Ideas brings Whose Streets? Mapping Places, Mapping Protests to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery on Tue 20 - Sun 25 May 2025, as part of Brighton Festival.

Event page

www.brightonfestival.org

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