Over the past week, young Nigerians have ramped up widespread protests—online and offline—against rampant brutality by local police. The core of the protests have included a call for the government of president Muhammadu Buhari isto scrap SARS, a notorious “special” police unit designated to combat armed robbery but is largely […]
Over the past week, young Nigerians have ramped up widespread protests—online and offline—against rampant brutality by local police.
The core of the protests have included a call for the government of president Muhammadu Buhari isto scrap SARS, a notorious “special” police unit designated to combat armed robbery but is largely known instead for blatant extortion and in some cases, extra-judicial killings.
SARS officers typically target and detain young men by accusing them of being online fraudsters, simply on the evidence of owning a laptop or smartphone, and then request arbitrary and exorbitant bail fees before they regain their freedom. In more extreme cases, SARS officers abduct civilian targets and force them to make withdrawals at an ATM in exchange for their freedom, sometimes at gunpoint. The unit also targets young women as well, often claiming, again with scant evidence, they are prostitutes, which is illegal in some parts of Nigeria. There have been several reports of women being sexually assaulted while in detention.
The latest round of anti-SARS protests have morphed organically from online hashtags into street protests in what feels like a tipping point for a generation of young Nigerians.
Online and offline
One of the core components of the ongoing protests has been the seamless transition between online and offline campaigns. Mainly using Twitter and WhatsApp, young people have rallied and mobilized waves of protests to locations across the country with pretty simple formulas.
For instance, when dozens of people converge on a location to host their own protests, they share their location on Twitter asking for “reinforcements”—a move that has seen crowds go from a few dozens to hundreds within hours in some places.
“These protests are different because they are decentralized and not directed by “leaders” or typical “activists.”
Alternatively, strategic locations are pre-identified online with people then encouraged to come out and protest. In one such case, thousands of young people responded to calls to come out before 6am yesterday (Oct. 12) to shut down Lekki toll gate—a key transit point between Lekki, an upmarket Lagos neighborhood, and the city’s main business district. The move resulted in miles-long lines of traffic jams and severe disruptions to activity in the city. It also proved effective as it forced the Lagos state governor to show up and address the protesters in person a few hours later.
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Journalists film an armored vehicle carrying Abid Malhi, a key assailant suspected in the gang rape of a woman on a desolate highway, following his court appearance in Lahore, Pakistan, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad meets with residents during his visit to villages affected by recent wildfires in Latakia province, Syria, on Oct. 13, 2020.
People are seen waving the national flag in front of a crowd in support of the ongoing protest against the unjust brutality of the Nigerian Police Force Unit named Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), in Lagos, Nigeria, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Female activists and students take part in a torch procession demanding women’s safety and justice for rape victims in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 14, 2020.
UN peacekeepers UNIFIL wear face masks as they ride in a vehicle in Naqoura, near the Lebanese-Israeli border, southern Lebanon, on Oct. 14, 2020.
Students pay their respects before the portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej during an official ceremony marking his fourth death anniversary, in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Professor Gaston Siano welcomes his students during first day of in person classes in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 13, 2020.
A man walks inside the damaged Ghazanchetsots (Holy Savior) Cathedral in the historic city of Shusha that was hit by a bomb during the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (C) chairs a meeting at the Economic Coordination Center in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (R) and his wife Wan Azizah pose for a photo at a press conference after meeting the king in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Medical staff wearing a protective suit test people at a drive-in testing facility in Zagreb, Croatia, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (R) and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde hold joint press conference after their meeting at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Primary healthcare workers hold signs reading in Catalan “Enough!” on the first day of a four-day strike to demand better working conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Barcelona, Spain, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Than Htay, chairman of the military-aligned opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), wearing a face shield and a mask as preventive measure against the COVID-19 speaks during a campaign in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Artists stage a protest against government’s decision to suspend cultural activities and night restrictions in some cities, in Tunis, Tunisia, on Oct. 13, 2020.
Workers harvest persimmons at an orchard in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends a graduation ceremony at Imam Ali Military Academy via video conference in Tehran, Iran on Oct. 12, 2020.
Schoolchildren wear face masks as they read inside their classroom at the Olympic Primary School during the partial reopening of schools, after the government scrapped plans to cancel the academic year due to the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Heavy monsoon downpour causes extreme waterlogging in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Tunisian President Kais Saied meets with Stephanie Williams, deputy special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Political Affairs in Libya, at Carthage Palace in Tunis, Tunisia, on Oct. 12, 2020. The U.N.’s Libya envoy urged rival parties to place the national interest before political ambitions when they meet for talks next month aimed at ending a decade of bloodshed.
A staff member walks past an empty closed swimming pool, as the Czech government shuts sports facilities, including pools and fitness clubs, for two weeks to slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Local people pass the site of a building collapse incident in Lagos, Nigeria, on Oct. 12, 2020.
People light candles in front of St. Marko Church in memory of late Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Nepalese youths participate in a physical training session at the Gurkha AXN training institute in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 12, 2020.
An airplane of South Korea’s air carrier Asiana Airlines Inc. lands on a runway at Incheon airport, west of Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 13, 2020. The temporary flight from Fukuoka in southwestern Japan marked the first on-the-air route since March when the line was suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (R) and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein give a joint press conference at Tahrir Palace, in Cairo, Egypt, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Sudanese army, police and civil institutions officers shout slogans during a protest in front of the Council of Minister’s headquarters, in Khartoum, Sudan, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Commuters undergo COVID-19 swab tests at the fort main railway station amid the coronavirus pandemic in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Oct. 12, 2020.
The clouds of smoke from a fire on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Opposition supporters, mostly pensioners, attend a rally to reject the presidential election results, in Minsk, Belarus, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Polish President Andrzej Duda bump fists during a joint signing ceremony as they meet in Kiev, Ukraine, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Azerbaijani people lay carnations on the wreckage of a house for children who were killed and injured in an attack after the Armenian army’s alleged attacks with long-range missiles, in Ganja, Azerbaijan, on Oct. 12, 2020.
Factory workers wearing protective face masks go to their workplace in Yangon, Myanmar, on Oct. 12, 2020.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, holds a news conference at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Oct. 12, 2020.
Security officials stand guard outside a sealed residential area during smart lockdown, after new cases of COVID-19, were reported in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Oct. 11, 2020.
People wear protective face masks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 11, 2020.
People gather at the site of a collapsed building under construction, in Lagos, Nigeria, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Lithuania’s Homeland Union leader and prime ministerial candidate, Ingrida Simonyte, and party chairman, Gabrielius Landsbergis, speak to reporters after polls closed on first round of general election, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Factory workers wearing protective face masks and shields cross a road as they go to work in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone, on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, on Oct. 12, 2020.
A man carries a table away from ruins at a blast site hit by a rocket during the fighting over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in Ganja, Azerbaijan, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Christians attend a Sunday service in one of the Chaldean churches that reopened after months of closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Students take part in an ongoing protest demanding justice following the alleged assault and brutal torture of a woman in the southern district of Noakhali, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Oct. 11.
Dr. Govinda KC talks to the media after ending hunger strike on the 28th day in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) meets with Yang Jiechi (L), director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Algiers, Algeria, on Oct. 11, 2020.
A Russian army vehicle, part of a patrol, drives past an oil field in the countryside of al-Qahtaniyah town in Syria’s northeastern Hasakeh province near the Turkish border, on Oct. 11, 2020.
A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during the election for a new leader in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Oct. 11, 2020.
United Nations peacekeeping force vehicles make a stop across from a pole with signs indicating directions to different cities, while on patrol in the Lebanese southern coastal area of Naqura by the border with Israel, on Oct. 11, 2020.
A Sri Lankan student wearing a protective mask heads towards the exam center as his mother checks his bag after handing over the admission papers and food near an examination center for Grade-5 scholarship exam in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Demonstrators react as a stun grenade explodes during an opposition rally to reject the presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, on Oct. 11, 2020.
A general view of a fire that broke out on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania on Oct. 11, 2020.
Pakistani TikTok star Hareem Shah speaks during a press conference regarding the government banning TikTok, in Karachi, Pakistan, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani speaks at the national board meeting to combat coronavirus (COVID-19), in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Former Ivory Coast President Henri Konan Bedie, candidate of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) for the Oct. 31 presidential election, speaks during an opposition coalition parties’ rally to protest against President Alassane Ouattara’s bid for a third term, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Officials and onlookers gather near the wreckage of an overturned bus involved in a deadly collision with a train next to Khlong Kwaeng Klan railway station, east of Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Search and rescue operations continue among the debris of houses after Armenian army’s alleged attacks with long-range missiles in Ganja city of Azerbaijan on Oct. 11, 2020.
A healthcare worker conducts a COVID-19 test at a drive-in testing station in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Reporters attend a press conference of Algeria’s Democratic Alternative Alliance in the capital Algiers on Oct. 10, 2020.
Workers clean the site of a fuel tank explosion that occurred in the Tariq al-Jadida neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Several organizations hold a protest against the alleged assault and torture of a woman in the district of Noakhali, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Firefighters try to put out a fire in Safita, Syria, on Oct. 10, 2020.
A girl wearing a black band around her face, gestures during a flash mob against crimes against women in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Demonstrators hold flares and shout slogans during a protest in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 10, 2020.
People shout slogans during a protest against the use of face masks and the protection measures against the COVID-19 infections in Bucharest, Romania, on Oct. 10, 2020.
A woman walks past an armoured personnel carrier (APC) after Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbai Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency in the capital and ordered troops to be deployed there, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Relatives and friends carry portraits of Ukrainian prisoners, held in eastern Ukraine regions controlled by pro-Russian separatists, during all-Ukrainian action “Remind about everyone” in support of prisoners and relatives of the missing, in Kiev, Ukraine, on Oct. 10, 2020.
A woman wearing a face mask holds her smartphone near the wire fences decorated with ribbons that contain messages wishing for the reunification of the two Koreas at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, on Oct. 11, 2020.
Activists of Pakistan Citizen Organization decry recent murder of a minor girl in Charsadda district, outside Peshawar Press Club in Pakistan on Oct. 9, 2020.
Palestinian protesters run amidst tear gas smoke during clashes with Israeli security forces following a demonstration against the expansion of settlements, near the village of Beit Dajan, Nablus, in the north central West Bank, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Malian politician Soumaila Cisse waves as he arrives at his home in Bamako, Mali, on Oct. 9, 2020, a day after his release. Cisse, a three-time presidential candidate and former opposition leader, was released by his captors along with a French and two Italian hostages.
Dancers perform during a gala in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Qamdo, in Qamdo City, Tibet Autonomous Region, on Oct. 9, 2020.
(L-R) Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarus’ Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Askar Mamin, Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Mikhail Myasnikovich, chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission’s Board, pose before a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan, Armenia, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Firefighter teams are seen outside of a building after a fuel oil tank exploded in a residential area of Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Sophie Petronin, an elderly aid worker who was the last French hostage in the world, is greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron and her relatives as she arrives at Villacoublay military airport near Paris, France, on Oct. 9, 2020. She was released on Oct. 8 after being held captive by jihadists in Mali for nearly four years.
Military honor guards take part in the National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, on Oct. 10, 2020.
Supporters of nationalist Sadyr Japarov, who has styled himself as prime minister, throw clumps of earth towards supporters of former Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev as they attend a rally in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Oct. 9, 2020. Two large crowds supporting rival politicians clashed in Bishkek as a power vacuum persisted and President Sooronbay Jeenbekov said he was ready to resign.
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa (R) and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Yang Jiechi pose for a picture before a meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Oct. 9, 2020. Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry said the overnight visit was the first by China in the South Asian region since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and was aimed at strengthening the already close ties between the two nations.
A member of the guard regiment adjusts the uniform of his comrade during a ceremony on Romania’s National Day of Commemorating the Holocaust at the monument for its victims in Bucharest, Romania, on Oct. 9, 2020.
People bow before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Mansu hill as the country marks the 75th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Oct. 10, 2020.
A protester shouts as people ride their bikes wearing protective face masks during an anti-government protest in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Firefighters extinguish a fire at an apartment building in Ulsan, South Korea, on Oct. 9, 2020. At least 88 residents were transported to hospital after the fire occurred around 11:07 p.m. the previous day.
Supporters attend an election rally for Tanzania’s ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Muslims pray during the first Friday Prayer at Abu Hanifa Mosque after seven months of closure due to COVID-19 pandemic in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias (L) and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Abdullah Hoti during their meeting in Pristina, Kosovo, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Workers of “Tavria Research Farm” SE and representatives of the National Corps hold hand flares during a protest to demand closure of the case on bankruptcy of the agricultural enterprise, outside the Commercial Court building in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Avenue Habib Bourguiba remains empty after a lockdown imposed as a measure against the spread of coronavirus pandemic in Tunis, Tunisia, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Students and activists take part in an ongoing protest against the alleged assault and brutal torturing of a woman in Noakhali, Bangladesh, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva (R) welcomes North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Oct. 9, 2020. Osmani is on an official visit in Sofia.
Sanliurfa Governor Abdullah Erin and accompanying delegation and other local leaders attend the opening ceremony of a local council building, held on the anniversary of Operation Peace Spring, in Tel Abyad, Syria, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Smoke rises from a storehouse after a fire broke out at a forested land in Belen district and spread to two neighborhoods in Iskenderun district of Hatay, Turkey, on Oct. 9, 2020.
People take part in a religious procession to mark the 40th day of mourning after the death anniversary of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in Lahore, Pakistan, on Oct. 8, 2020.
A woman lights a candle next to a portrait of the Iranian legendary singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian outside of the Jam hospital in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 8, 2020.
People gather at the scene of a gas explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, Oct. 8, 2020.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić (R) and European Commissioner in charge of Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy Oliver Varhelyi (L) hold a joint press conference in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 8, 2020.
A man walks past a house damaged by recent shelling during the military conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in Stepanakert, Azerbaijan, on Oct. 8, 2020.
A woman brings a board inside a bar during a protest to draw attention to the bars and restaurants’ difficult economic situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Zagreb, Croatia, on Oct. 8, 2020.
Deputy chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (2nd R) is welcomed by Sudanese officials at Khartoum International Airport in Sudan on Oct. 8, 2020.
Students in a candlelight vigil show respect to all victims around the country and ask for justice against gangrape and torture of women in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 8, 2020.
A woman wears a mask for protection against COVID-19 while going into a subway station in Bucharest, Romania, on Oct. 8, 2020.
Health workers in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits collect swab samples from people to test for coronavirus at the Department of Medical Research (DMR) in Yangon, Myanmar, on Oct. 8, 2020.
Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovič welcomes Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya with an elbow bump at the government headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Oct. 8, 2020.
People walk past billboards during rain in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 8, 2020.
Women, wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus, shop at the Kalvarijos market in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Oct. 8, 2020.
People take part in a mourning ritual, marking Arbaeen, the end of the 40-day mourning period for the seventh-century killing of Imam Hussein, Prophet Mohammad’s grandson, in Karbala, Iraq, on Oct. 8, 2020.
People walk along the beach by a military guard-post after police opened the beachfront of Varosha, an abandoned quarter of the Cypriot city of Famagusta, on Oct. 8, 2020.
Devotees perform at the Data Darbar Shrine on the second day of a three-day annual Sufi religious festival called ‘Urs’ in Lahore, Pakistan, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani makes a speech on the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh during the Council of Ministers meeting in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Smoke rises as Azerbaijan’s forces shell targets during the fighting over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh near the city of Terter, Azerbaijan, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Three suspects charged with helping al-Qaida-linked militants to launch an attack on the Westgate mall stand in the dock at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct. 7, 2020.
A medical staff member wearing a protective suit takes a swab as people are tested for COVID-19 at a newly opened drive-in sampling station in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Students march on the street during a demonstration against gangrape and brutal torturing of a woman in the southern district of Noakhali, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (L) places wreath on the monument at Turkish Cemetery and Memorial built in honor of Turkish citizens who lost their lives in Bratislava in World War I, during its opening ceremony in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Hospitality workers hold banners that read “We want to work” as they protest against the government’s decision for the closure of restaurants, cinemas, theaters and hospitality venues in the capital, for a second time, in Bucharest, Romania, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Birds rest on a board displaying an election campaign poster of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party in Yangon, Myanmar, on Oct. 7, 2020.
A man sprinkles disinfectant over pilgrims as they gather ahead of the holy ritual of Arbaeen in Karbala, Iraq, on Oct. 7, 2020.
A voter casts his ballot from a car during an early vote at a drive-in polling station in Vilnius, Lithuania on Oct. 7, 2020.
Ivica Todorić (C), one of the richest men in the Balkans, stands before the county court in Zagreb, Croatia, on Oct. 7, 2020. A Croatian court has acquitted the tycoon in a case related to the collapse of a retail company that has shaken the Balkan region.
Pedestrians cross a street during a rainy evening in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 7, 2020.
More than 400 cars block a central part of Sofia, Bulgaria, on Oct. 7, 2020, as driving instructors protested against new regulations they say will aggravate corruption and do nothing to promote safe driving.
Members of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) chant while marching to the National Treasury during their national strike against corruption and unemployment in Pretoria, South Africa, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (R) walks next to Christian Democratic Union party member Norbert Röttgen (L) at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Thousands of government employees stage a sit-in protest in front of the parliament building demanding job regularization, increase in their salaries and other benefits, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Representatives of Libya’s rival administration exchange documents after a meeting in Temara, Morocco, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo waves at supporters from a car at the entrance of the Electoral Commission Head Office in Accra, Ghana, on Oct. 6, 2020.
In this handout photo provided by the German Government Press Office (BPA), Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya meets with Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Sudan’s ousted president Omar al-Bashir (C) gestures as he arrives for his trial in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, on Oct. 6, 2020, in connection with the 1989 military coup that brought him to power.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and European Council President Charles Michel pose at the end of a press conference after an EU-Ukraine Summit at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (top right) and President of self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan (C) attend a meeting with army commanders in Nagorno-Karabakh on Oct. 6, 2020. Heavy fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the region since Sept. 27 has since killed scores of troops and civilians.
Shia Muslim pilgrims walk to the holy city of Karbala, ahead of the holy ritual of Arbaeen, in Iraq on Oct. 6, 2020.
James Zhao, grandson-in-law of late former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui, carries Lee’s portrait during the state funeral ceremony held at the Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on Oct. 7, 2020. Lee, remembered for leading the island’s transition to democracy, died at age 97 in July.
Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabiei answers questions during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Search and rescue team member inspects the area after a bomb blast in Al-Bab district of Aleppo, Syria, on Oct. 6, 2020.
(L-R) Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan pose as they visit the Holocaust memorial prior to their historic meeting in Berlin, Germany, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (R) and Bulgarian Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov hold up signed copies of a 10-year “Roadmap for Defense Cooperation,” during their meeting at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., on Oct. 6, 2020.
Travel agency owners display empty suitcases after a press conference demanding government’s financial support for the tourism agencies as the spread of the COVID-19 continues, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 6, 2020. Placards read “Travel agencies expect support – our pockets and suitcases are empty- If there is no agencies, there is no Tourism.”
An aerial view shows the damage in Saint-Martin-Vesubie as clean-up operations continue after storm Alex hit the Alpes-Maritimes department, bringing record rainfall in places and causing heavy flooding that swept away roads and damaged homes, in France, on Oct. 6, 2020.
A security guard gives hand sanitizer to students as they arrive at the Prabhat secondary school in Chandragiri municipality on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Workers reinforce the gates outside the Government House in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Oct. 7, 2020. Mass protests against the results of the 2020 Kyrgyz parliamentary election have been held in Kyrgyzstan since Oct. 5. Protesters have seized the parliament building, known as White House, with the Central Election Commission canceling the results of the election.
A student holds a black flag to protest against an alleged gangrape and torturing of a woman in the southern district of Noakhali during a demonstration in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Hussein Hassan and Mohamed Ahmed, suspects charged with helping al Qaeda-linked militants to launch an attack on the Westgate mall, are seen at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Laborers are seen demonstrating on the street against the labor law in Tangerang, Indonesia, on Oct. 6, 2020.
A health worker sprays disinfectant as people wait to give swab samples for COVID-19 test near a mobile testing vehicle outside a hospital in Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka, on Oct. 6, 2020.
A man removes signs as Hurricane Delta approaches Puerto Juarez in Mexico on Oct. 6, 2020.
Supporters of the United Democratic Party (UDP) wave party flags and cheer from their motorbikes during an election campaign for next month’s general election, in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on Oct. 7, 2020.
Students from different institutions perform as a tribute to their teachers at Alhamra Arts Council on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, in Lahore, Pakistan, on Oct. 5, 2020.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speak to the media after their talks in Ankara, Turkey, on Oct. 5, 2020. Stoltenberg said the 30-country military alliance is “deeply concerned by the escalation of hostilities ” between Azerbaijan and Armenia and he urged Turkey to help end the fighting.
Wearing protective masks, pilgrims from the Mouride Brotherhood pray in the Grand Mosque of Touba as they take part in the celebrations of the Grand Magal of Touba in Senegal on Oct. 5, 2020.
People take part in a weekly rally to call for the release of jailed journalist Khaled Drareni in Algiers, Algeria, on Oct. 5, 2020.
A woman lays flowers for the victims of the 1976 Thammasat University massacre during the annual commemoration ceremony held at the university in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 6, 2020.
An aerial view shows flooded homes in a village after the River Nile broke the dykes in Jonglei, South Sudan, on Oct. 5, 2020.
Lee Rae-jin, the older brother of a South Korean fisheries official shot dead by the North Korean military, and lawmakers get into the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a document to appeal for U.N. investigation on his brother’s death, in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 6, 2020.
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greet each other prior to their meeting at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 6, 2020.
People protesting against the results of a parliamentary election stand in front of the government headquarters which has been taken over, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Oct. 6, 2020.
152/152 SLIDES
The protests have spread to other states across the country in similar fashion with social media also deployed as a key tool for organizing. And there has been little reason to offer extra motivation to galvanize young people to show up for these protests: the notoriety of SARS is such that millions of young Nigerians have either had gory personal experiences or know someone who has.
The campaigns have also been sustained online where they initially began. The #EndSARS hashtag yielded 28 million tweets over the past weekend alone, according to social media analytics firm, Afriques Connectées.
Wise to the power of amplification and allies, a core part of the campaign has included pushing hashtags to global figures to tap into larger, international platforms. The move has yielded fruit with celebrities, from Premier League footballers in England and American hip hop stars like Kanye West and P Diddy to Oscar-winning Hollywood actresses also sharing the hashtag and lending their support on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
But it’s not just celebrities, young Nigerians believe the Buhari government is uninterested in engaging with key social issues until the international press shines an embarrassing or inconvenient spotlight on a problem. To that end many of the early hashtagged tweets were all concerted efforts to catch the attention of big media organizations including the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera and New York Times. Most of those media houses have indeed obliged and covered the biggest social protest news event since “Occupy Nigeria” protests in January 2012.
While some prominent individuals have been involved in the protests, it’s key to note that much of the organization has happened organically online, without any stated campaign “leaders”—a dynamic similar to the US Black Lives Matter movement which represents a problem of sorts for governments.
People crowd Gani Fawehinmi freedom square on the fifth day of a protest against a fuel subsidies removal in Lagos Jan. 13, 2012
With protests in the country typically fronted by local Nigerian groups like the National Labour Congress or student unions, political leaders often try to resolve them by “negotiating” with leaders of this groups which often leads to accusations of tainted compromise or even corruption.
“These protests are different because they are decentralized and not directed by “leaders” or typical “activists”,” says Gbenga Sesan, an activist and founder of Paradigm Initiative, a digital rights advocacy firm.
Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding
Just like its organization, the funding of the protests have also been decentralized. The costs of the protests are being funded primarily through donations coming from Nigerians at home and abroad. But local tech startups—most of which are led by and have young people as a key customer base—have also become prominent actors in the campaign as well: in addition to making donations, fintech startups have also set up donation links to ease the crowdfunding process.
One such donation drive managed by Feminist Coalition, a one week old group of young Nigerian feminists that was formed in the wake of the protests, raised around $55,000 in four days through cash and bitcoin donations.
So far, donations have been dedicated to providing protesters with food and water as well ensuring first aid and other medical supplies are available at protest venues across the country. In severe cases of police brutality against protesters, donations are also being used to pay off hospital bills. Laraba, a 30-year old communications and development consultant who was beaten by three police officers while protesting, says her hospital bills have already been paid by Feminist Coalition. “I’m essentially at the mercy of those who crowdsourced finances and so far they’ve come through,” she tells Quartz Africa. “I’ve had to come back to the hospital and they’ve also promised to cover subsequent bills.”
Young lawyers are also working pro-bono across the country, offering legal representation to arrested protesters. It’s a key service given the real threat of being unlawfully detained without a sentence and without access to legal representation. Indeed, 72.5% of inmates in Nigerian prisons are serving time without being sentenced.
The intensity of the protests highlight a key cultural shift in Nigeria: while older Nigerians may have been conditioned against public protests given their lived experiences under successive brutal military regimes in the 1980s and 1990s, Nigerians below the age of 35 either never experienced those dictatorships or were too young to understand what they lived through. Essentially, younger Nigerians are speaking up without fear and tapping into digital tools to make themselves heard by an older generation of leaders.
It’s a developing trend that is being accelerated by social media. With their low bandwidth consumption which is ideal for slower networks, Twitter and Whatsapp have become vital platforms for raising political awareness not just in Nigeria but across the continent. African governments are responding by stepping up online censorship plans through questionable social media laws.
There are plenty of tell-tale signs the Nigerian government is also wary of the power of social media and technology as there have already been several unsuccessful attempts to regulate social media in Nigeria. The bad news for the government however, is that online advocacy will only get louder given current trends: Nigeria will account for more than a fifth of the 475 million mobile internet users in sub-Saharan Africa and will also welcome 25 million new mobile subscribers by 2025, GSMA estimates show.
But unlike some other African countries, Nigeria has yet to shut down internet access as a response to dissent from citizens and one likely reason is the potential steep economic cost: a total, nationwide internet shutdown will cost Nigeria an estimated $134 million daily. For its part however, Sesan’s Paradigm Initiative has launched a campaign offering VPN subscriptions to help people stay connected to the internet in the event of a shutdown or social media blocks during the protests.
Counting the costs
The protests can be said to have already yielded fruit: Nigeria’s police inspector general has already announced SARS has been disbanded. However, it comes with the caveat that SARS officers will be transferred to other units in the police force—a decision that undermines the call to root out impunity from the police force.
Recent evidence also provides little reason to believe that the inspector general’s directive will yield tangible on-ground results: the latest announcement is the fourth time the police leadership has placed restrictions on the unit’s operations in four years.
And so the protests have intensified even after news that the unit has been “disbanded.” Protesters are now calling for the president to take more tangible action for legitimate investigations to bring errant officers to book in a bid to instill a measure of accountability in the police force.
It’s a request that continues to be validated by the police force’s response to protesters on the street. Over the past three days, unarmed protesters have been met with teargas, water-cannons and live rounds from police. There have also been widespread reports of arbitrary arrests of protesters who are being slapped with trumped up charges. Even worse, at least 10 unarmed protesters have been killed since the start of the protests, according to Amnesty International.
So far the government’s calls for an end to protests and promises of reforms have been ignored as protesters continue to organize across the country. And there is little indication that will change soon. “Tech and social media are readily available coordinating tools,” Sesan tells Quartz Africa. “But the young women and men sustaining protests, raising funds, organizing legal support, sharing information about protest movements belong to a generation that is impatient in a great way.”
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