As spring awakens, tens of thousands of people have recently occupied the streets of major European capitals. People taking to the streets to protest against their governments and call for the resignation of their political leaders.
In Reykjavik, Iceland mass protests bought down their Prime Minister in wake of the Panama papers and in London similar demonstrations have taken place demanding that dodgy Dave Cameron resigns. While in France a burgeoning movement of anger has emerged known as uit Debout ( up all night ) that has swept the country people's assemblies have been organised and city squares have been occupied inspiring the world. And in Athens, Greece refugees have marched to demand open borders and respect for their human rights and dignity.
We are witnessing a resurgence of mass protests, an unprecedented escalation in large scale citizen protests, movements building for a better future, trying their best to achieve social change. People not usually interested in politics interested in this spirit of change. People connecting and joining the dots, demanding another way, it seems like an impossible spirit to kill. Diverse in their goals but unified by their people power but all motivated by a strong desire for change.
The long history of social movements that have the ability to transform our lives is a notable one, that seek to end the rule of money so that people and planet come before profits. With the impact of austerity hitting us all hard, causing economic hardship and unfairness the inevitable results are these waves of rebellion.
The mainstream media seems intent on ignoring these mass protests, but the spirit is growing and spreading, hope is alive and in the air, people now boiling with rage but with the desire to construct something brand new, from the bottom up, whilst despising a system made by the elite for the elite, a system that everybody is beginning to realize is broken and cannot be fixed.
As our leaders continue to treat us as dirt, want us to remain broken, together we will rise and in solidarity we will find our strength. With resistance, triumph and compassion I have a strong belief that our futures can be changed for the better, forwards we move, our roads are clear. All these things give me hope as I write. One of lives lessons is always moving on.
These movements have no limit, no borders and belong to all who wish to be part of it.
This spring hope is well and truly in the air.
As the late singer Phil Ochs once said "In such ugly times the only true protest is beauty."
I will end with the following poem by Emily Dickinson :-
Hope is the thing with feathers
" Hope is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without words-
And never stops -at all -
And sweetest - in the gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I've heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
Great Britain
