The arrest of Catalonian musician Pablo Hasél has sparked protests over free speech and the country’s penal code. Hasél was arrested on Tuesday by anti-riot police following a 24-hour standoff in a university, sparking protests across Spain. The Rapper has been given a nine-month sentence for glorifying terrorist acts on his social media accounts and…
Music
Pale Waves’ Heather Baron-Gracie talks recording in lockdown, normalising LGBTQ+ relationships in new single ‘She’s My Religion,’ and more
Heather Baron-Gracie is the lead singer of Pale Waves, an indie rock band that rose to stardom after supporting The 1975 on their North American tour in 2017. They then released their debut EP ALL THE THINGS I NEVER SAID and album My Mind Makes Noises, with their debut album reaching number eight on the…
#BLM, Global
How have protests transformed under lockdown measures?
Needless to say, the act of taking to the streets joined in close proximity by hundreds of others shouting support for a cause has been affected by the recent measures to minimize the spread of Covid. With government guidelines limiting public gatherings to no more than six people, protesting in public is now currently illegal…
Global, Main Stories
China outlaws Hong Kong activism around the world
Last week the Chinese Government introduced a controversial security law in Hong Kong, the piece of legislation represents another step in China’s violation of the territory’s sovereignty. Importantly, it includes an article which attempts to make the law applicable to any region outside of Hong Kong. China had agreed to respect Hong Kong’s democracy for…
#BLM, Books, Venue
In an age of social media, how useful are books when practising activism?
In his song The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Gil Scott-Heron declares that “you will not be able to stay at home, brother … you will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out”. The recent international focus on Black Lives Matter protests has brought to attention the urgency of issues such…
Sport
Is there a place for political activism in sport?
The allure of sports for most fans stems from a desire for escapism, an opportunity to get away from the stresses of everyday life and become immersed in supporting their favourite team. As a result, it certainly seems the consensus that the majority of dedicated sports viewers do not watch the events for the political…
News
Extinction Rebellion action continues in Norwich
Climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion (XR) have continued with actions to change climate policy in Norwich following the premature conclusion of their London protests. In the London protests, around 100 members of Norwich XR were in the Parliament square group, including former Norfolk County Councillor Andrew Boswell. Boswell said the idea of the action…
Comment
‘Extinction Rebellion is flawed’
Climate change is a national emergency that needs solving. But what’s protesting outside an empty parliament over Easter going to do? Extinction Rebellion (XR) have pretty impressive scientific backing, and rightly so. But is being a public nuisance in the name of climate change really the image we want to put across? More than 1000…
Film
Actor and activism
Actors inspire me in more ways than just through their talent. The most admirable actors, in my eyes, use their stardom to evoke change and contribute to brilliant causes, subsequently raising awareness through their mass following. The financial benefit of having celebrities on board with causes cannot be questioned, but the word of mouth that…
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