Commentary
A recent offensive by Damascus and the Kurds’ abandonment by Arab allies have left a sense of betrayal.
Wladimir van Wilgenburg
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Commentary
The Writing Is on the Wall
Graffiti by protestors in Algiers and Beirut shows their desire to take control of public space.
Published on Oct 31, 2019
At the Carnegie Endowment’s website, Dalia Ghanem, Loulouwa al-Rachid, and Sabri Benalycherif have just published a very interesting photo essay on the graffiti of protesters in Algiers and Beirut, where large demonstrations have taken place this year against the countries’ respective governments and political systems. Describing the graffiti, the authors write that “Some evoke the past to illustrate a long history of suffering, while others use metaphors and name-calling to unite people against their ‘oppressors.’” A more profound aim in posting graffiti, they argue, is that for protesters, “in both countries, graffiti art subverts state control and takes back the public space.”
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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