analysis

LIVING TOGETHER AFTER THE REVOLUTION:
Living together after the revolution concerns the way in which spaces are changed after revolution (protests, sit-ins etc...) or rather, the ways that the way we experience spaces changes after revolutions and protests.
For this purpose, I spoke with activist Boni Adeliyi, on the subject of ‘Vive la Revolution!’ for the Youtopia Podcast Series. The interview begins with Boni recounting the processes involved in organising the protests, her experience during the protest and a post protest analysis. In this discussion we discuss the effectiveness of protests for changing social conditions.
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“I didn’t think of anything else that wasn’t a big space” - Boni

One of the key aspects of protests are numbers, in order to gain the attention of the news and decision makers, it is essential a protest can ‘prove’ its validity. In the United Kingdom, for a petition to get a response or acknowledgement from Parliament, it needs 10,000 signatures. For it to be debated in Parliament, it must gain a total of 100,000 signatures. Similarly, for protests to be effective, they must show that a large amount of people support the cause and/or are affected by it.

“The train station had a pavement - I could mark out distances... it was a large space which could accommodate large numbers of people easily” - Boni

A key feature of public spaces, particularly public squares are to accommodate large amounts of people. There was a time when the public square had more significance, it was where news would be spread, information shared, evangelicals evangelised...however in modern society, the communal use of public space has somewhat reduced. The ‘agora’ no longer has a place in society today, when it exists in our social media feeds and we receive information virtually rather than verbally in person. People tend to move through the space rather than stay still in it, particularly the area in question just outside Milton Keynes Train Station is a hub of activity during rush hour periods and lunchtimes. So to stage a protest in this space, is to really subvert the current spatial use of the space. It is impactful because it is a direct contrast to the usual hub-bub of activity that the space is known for today.

“Knowing MK, I can’t think of any space which could have been politically more effective” - Boni

Part of this observation is due to Milton Keynes’ relatively new history. Milton Keynes is only 50 years old, and was founded in the 20th century, therefore the aesthetic of architecture design movements passed can’t be found in Milton Keynes. Leading from this, the hierarchical language of the buildings are different too, and there are few buildings which have precedence over others besides the renowned retail centre.
Compare Milton Keynes to Central London, and one can see how this stark contrast is expressed: there are no grand parliament buildings, no houses of commons, and therefore, more interestingly perhaps, ‘revolution’ or protest can take place anywhere.

“Spaces which historically effect change” - Boni

As mentioned above, Milton Keynes’ lack of history makes it a potentially objective or neutral site for protest. London’s infrastructure remains, and with that staying power also remains a physical contention point and site for protest. Buildings which date far back to multiple centuries and multiple atrocities mean that it is a more triggering place for protesters. The influence political buildings in London have are also far more wide-reaching than in Milton Keynes; London is one of the most influential capitals of the world, therefore it can also have the potential to be one of the most effective locations for effecting change. That said, Milton Keynes’ lack of historical significance in terms of a particularly contentious past also makes it a site for hope and for anticipation; perhaps even for fantasising and imagining Youtopia and writing new, better histories for tomorrow.

“A space which could hold people was more important than a political space - it wasn’t a political protest”- Boni

Boni explains that although it was aligned with the BLM movement, she really intended for it to be a space for people to mourn and express their grief and frustration in a safe way. Catharsis in togetherness, in the midst of socio-political chaos and the worldwide pandemic is what she hoped to bring to the attendees. I asked Boni if her theatrical background and understanding of how to express human emotion in multiple forms affected how she planned the events of the day, and although she hadn’t considered it at the time, Boni conceded that indeed, stillness as a response to chaos is just as effective as marching. In marching, one is able to feel like they are actively doing something, it is a proactive form of expression, it feels purposeful. That said, stillness, kneeling or sitting in support of the cause requires just as much control and intention. It draws on a certain introspectiveness, and in that location, which is usually a constant stream of movement and activity, changing that spatial language in protest demonstrates a physical expression of one’s ability to take up space in the public realm and truly change its significance.