Space Invaders: Radical Geographies of Protest

by Paul Routledge

Space Invaders argues for the importance of a radical geographic perspective in enabling us to make sense of protests and social movements around the world. Under conditions of increasing global economic inequalities, we are witnessing the flourishing of grassroots people's movements fighting for improved rights.



Whether it be the alter-globalisation mobilisations of the turn of the century, the flurry of Occupy protests, or the current wave of anti-austerity mobilisations taking place, there is a geographical logic to all forms of protest whether that be through transforming landscapes, occupying enemy territory or developing solidarity and communication networks.



Paul Routledge takes a primarily auto-ethnographical perspective, drawing upon his extensive experience over the past thirty years working with various forms of protest in Europe, Asia and Latin America, to provide an account of how a radical geographical imagination can inform our understanding and the prosecution of protest.

Genres: Politics

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2017

Reviews

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

The social science of geography concerns itself with the way the world is structured into particular places and the ways in which they are connected with one another. It asks questions about the social and economic forces which have produced a city like Manchester, for example, and the relationship it has with its immediate hinterland, the rest of Britain, and just as crucially, the rest of the world.

Some of these places seem better fitted than others to channel protest against the world is, and to act as platforms for radical change. The city of Paris shows up at frequent intervals as a space in which revolution is precipitated, with implications not just for France but also the rest of the world. London, on the other hand, has place where social and economic forces are gathered by ruling classes and then sent out across the planet to build empires of one sort or another.

Routledge is interested in the conditions which facilitate movements of protest against a world order made up of the commodification of the creative energies of human beings to turn it into property and capital. This short book reads like a guide to the strategies that might be used by campaigners to turn the spaces and the networks in which they function into more effective means to fight back against the logic of markets and to bring about real change.

With chapter titles like ‘Know Your Place’, ‘Stay Mobile’, ‘Extend Your Reach’, and ‘Feel Out of Place’ he offers up scores of examples of protest movements across the world which have acquired traction because of the thought and consideration given to the special components of their actions.

They are a diverse group. The achievements of Global South peasant farmer resistance to the encroachment of the state and its mega-projects are jumbled together with protest against the types of speculative development which displaces working class communities in the old countries of capitalism, and the ‘Rebel Clown Armies’ which pit themselves against the representatives of global elites whenever they gather in the G8+ meetings across the world.

As a taster for the perspectives opened up by a radical geography perspective it does its job well enough. At a moment in time when leftist politics often seems like a one-dimensional fan club for the candidates are on offer as leaders it gives us at least a hint of what the additional capacities and layers of resistance that will be needed if we are to seriously challenge capitalism.

[Rebecka Häggström · Rating 5 out of 5]

Så bra manifest! Fylld av nykter anti kapitalism och konfronterande kritik av nyliberaliseringen globala misshandel!!

”We must endeavour to not separate who we are from what we do and what we are becoming. Like the popular assemblies of Occupy, we should not ask permission from the authorities before staging protests. We should just appear. It is also important that we do not just react to events. Rather, we should be proactive, withdrawing our consent from the injustices of capitalism, and in so doing fashioning new ways of being and acting. We will need to intensify struggles for social reproduction and nurture varied arts for the self-defence of the commons. We will need to develop shared perceptions of unfolding situations and organise collectively across the planet. Deploying spatial strategies, we will need to develop our relational, compositional and organisational powers across multiple sites of intervention in order to refigure space. We will need to become space invaders”

[Aida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent read, with a critical perspective of multiple movements included in the author's framework. whole geography is seen as central to each piece, the form it takes in each chapter is new and related. A wide range of movements are considered (Black Lives Matter, the Zapatistas, LGBTQ community) that span the globe and are considered from often a firsthand perspective. There were a few small things that popped up, but I think the intent was always to treat each subject matter with respect and I do believe the author was successful. I found the framework to be understandable and critical of geography's role in protest and overall, I appreciated the detailed background on these protests and their roles in societal change. I find this book incredibly relevant.

[Tina Casteris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wide ranging descriptions of social and political movements around the world, tied together by a rigorous academic framework of place. Firsthand accounts of participation by the author are particularly riveting.