Last week many fellow students took to the streets of Falmouth town centre to protest about the recent controversial events, because of this we have decided to go slightly off-piste and instead of reporting a more light hearted event and local story, we are going to talk about what is arguably affecting us all, so please read on and let us know your thoughts on twitter at @HCFalmouth.
Your average Twitter feed is probably largely comprised of the following: celebrity bust ups, news alerts, bad grammar, cat memes and Kardashian selfies. The last year, however, has been one which rocked innumerable lives and has seen some of the worst terror threats to the Western world since the 7/7 attacks in London. There have been times when it’s felt like we’ve lost touch with each other; those with different backgrounds, religions and nationalities have seemed a million miles away and this is the scariest thing of all. Author, activist and humanitarian Helen Keller (look her up ladies, she’s one to remember) was an enormous advocate for the power of communication and is attributed with having said that “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Her words ring so true today; solidarity and interaction are incredible forces for change and will be, when we get them right, the building blocks of a peaceful society, one where mutual respect is paramount. With the rise of the extremist group ISIS and warnings of radicalisation touted from every corner, we have seen this year how vital a role intercommunity support and relationships are to building stamina against terrorism. Terror’s own biggest fears are compassion, unity and an open discourse which threatens its ability to influence those who are vulnerable to radicalisation.
Though it may appear as if different communities are increasingly at odds with one another, you don’t have to go far to find out that there is plenty of hope left in the world, and that those who want to spread the message of solidarity are everywhere. Funnily enough, Twitter has revealed itself as the place to go in search of refuge and camaraderie in times of crisis. With each threat that has arisen this year, amongst the messages of fear and shock, were beacons of hope, hospitality and helping hands which transcended nationality, religion and politics to extend offers of support.
These hashtags said no – no to scare tactics, no to the endeavour for global panic, and no to indiscriminate prejudice. They prove that in the middle of disaster, we know that standing together in solidarity makes us strong.
During the Sydney hostage crisis in December of last year many became concerned about the potential for rising intolerance or aggression towards those in religious dress. Following a tweet by Rachael Jacobs, a woman who offered to travel with a fellow passenger who removed her hijab, the #illridewithyou hashtag was born, by which locals offered company across their public transport routes. The hashtag produced 150,000 tweets in four hours.
Various metro lines were closed after attacks began in Paris just a few weeks ago and many found themselves stranded in the city as Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency. #porteouverte offered safe places for people to go and advised those on the street where they could find shelter. The hashtag was also used by taxi drivers offering free rides to homes and hotels. The #prayforparis hashtag trended the following day as the world showed its support for the victims and the French Tricolore was projected across landmarks worldwide.
Echoing the reaction to the attacks at Charlie Hebdo, the #jesuissousse hastag went viral after a gunman opened fire on tourists holidaying near Sousse, Tunisia in June. The vast majority of victims were British, though thousands of tweets came from countries without victims as people endeavoured to demonstrate their support for those affected.
The #brusselslockdown hastag has showed us that even in times of crisis we can hold on to a sense of humour. The hashtag began trending during anti-terror raids which largely shut down the city in November. Police warned citizens against sharing information on the raids however, as it could alert terrorists to what was happening. The hilarious response to this demonstrated the excellent humour of the Belgian people as Twitter experienced what can only be described as a cat storm. Tweeters used the hashtag to share pictures of adorable and very happy kittens and counter the images of violence and empty streets which would typically accompany anti-terror raids.
The spontaneous put down of a shocked onlooker to a man who stabbed two people in the London tube station has become an inspiring rallying cry against extremist ideas and captures public feeling about those who commit acts of terror in the name of religion. A very London response, #youaintnomuslimbruv is the perfect riposte to attempts to spread violence. At the time of writing it is trending worldwide, with over 115,000 tweets and it reminds us that extremism is the aspiration of the few.