It seems that the most prominent feature of this social protest is its multigenerational character. Younger and older people come to the demonstrations and respect and create space for the young style of protest and absence of explicit leadership. I believe that the colors of the flags they wave reflect the protestors’ diversity: On the one hand there are blue and white national flags that express protestors’ basic allegiance, which is supposed to be the common denominator of the entire public and its leaders. Alongside them are the black flags, which represent more mature activism that grieves the loss of democracy and also perhaps the loss of the values that once represented the Israeli ethos. They also represent what the seniors in Daniella and Orna’s group described as “yearning for a place that no longer exists.” Alongside these are the pink flags and balloons, mainly held by younger protestors. These symbolize the aspiration for a positive “rose-colored” future. All the other groups view them with affection, and make room for them.
Beyond its political goals, the current social protest serves several needs that are directly related to the Corona experience, such as the need to feel significant and effective, and thus constitutes a way of coping with the sense of helplessness and loss of control that people experience. As mentioned earlier, participation in the social protest is one way of coping with perceived loss of control at the individual level, which is exacerbated by the political leadership’s perceived loss of control and their failure to effectively manage the crisis. Ilan described this:
In some sense, going to a demonstration is taking your destiny in your hands and feeling that at least I did my part. Confronting this thing, this craziness, and this systemic disruption, I know that I walked out with my sign and said “No more.” … I think that this is a kind of experience that creates some order. These demonstrations are a step in the opposite direction of sinking into despair. There is something very fortifying about them. Very invigorating…
Role reversal, or at least a rebellion against the metaphorical father, involves grief and renunciation of authority, but it can also be interpreted as assumption of responsibility at both the societal level and the personal level. Ilan offered an example of how the protests increased after every incident of police violence against protestors:
Every time police violence occurs, the protest only grows stronger… Without warning, the police created a situation in which people were enclosed in a certain area with no exit, and then drenched with water or pushed without reason or decision…You might think…that people would be scared. But…I don’t see fear…the problem is not the police but… the person who issues those orders.
Furthermore, it seems that when a social and cultural vacuum exists, protests constitute a legitimate social and cultural meeting place, within a situation that prohibits or restricts social and cultural meetings and even contact between family members. Participation in demonstrations is the opposite of social distancing, dissociation, and isolation. In a fundamental sense, social protest is expressed not only through participation in demonstrations but even in the refusal to obey incoherent orders or instructions that are politically motivated and not based on medical considerations (see reference above to masks in Daniella and Orna’s group). We can only hope that this topic will be conceptualized and researched in the future.
