Authoritarian and right-wing movements are gaining strength around the world and more authoritarian governments are coming into power. Examples include Donald Trump in the USA, Narendra Modi in India, Giorgia Meloni in Italy and Javier Milei in Argentina. Is it appropriate to speak of an awakening of authoritarianism? Is democracy in crisis? What is authoritarianism? In this article, we explore these questions as well as innovative resistance movements around the world.
One important reason for this is that neoliberal democracy is being questioned by many people around the world in the face of numerous crises (financial crisis of 2008, climate crisis, geopolitical crises, etc.). Due to these crises, fewer people can afford a good life, and therefore the increasingly unstable system must be maintained by force.
At the same time, many people are very insecure and frustrated - they don't know what the future holds and are puzzled by the world. The offer of authoritarian ideas is a promise of security: as a man, a white person, or a patriot, you have a place in the world and can direct your "anger" at the weaker. The spread of authoritarianism is therefore neither just a movement from above, i.e., a conspiracy of the elites, nor an "uprising from below".
One way to find hope is to examine the instances of anti-authoritarian resistance portrayed on this map.
The anti-authoritarian actions depicted here share a common trait: they are disruptive. In doing so, they break through indifference and the withdrawal into the private sphere. They unveil what has been veiled. Whether through large murals, small stickers, or bare bodies, they remind the world that they exist and have a voice, and that there are alternative ways of living.
The examples on the world map are derived from the book: Beyond Molotovs – A visual Handbook of Anti-Authoritarian Strategies (external link, opens in a new window). The book contains many more examples of innovative resistance movements and their backgrounds! You can also download the book for free as a PDF here (external link, opens in a new window).
Online article created by Pia Monroy Rodriguez. This article is based on the book: "Beyond Molotovs: A Visual Handbook of Anti-Authoritarian Strategies (external link, opens in a new window)" by IRGAC and the collective orangotango. The book is published under the terms of the Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons licence CC BY 4.0 (external link, opens in a new window)! Share, use or adapt the article for your educational work. Don't forget to republish it under the same conditions and mention L!NX and the authors!
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