“Out There Are Monsters Now”: Friday’s Protest at Heroes’ Square Could Be a Global Innovation
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The "Out There Are Monsters Now" protest held at Heroes' Square on Friday could be considered a pioneer not only in Hungarian domestic politics, but also globally.
Dániel Mikecz, a political scientist and senior research fellow at the Centre for Social Sciences, told Qubit that there is no precedent on an international level for social media content creators organizing an offline protest in response to a current political event.
The researcher emphasized that social media influencers have so far typically not left the online space when advocating for social causes. They have mostly encouraged internet activism known as “clicktivism,” such as changing profile pictures or using hashtags to show support for a cause. The Friday protest, which according to the organizers was attended by at least 50,000 people, changed this trend and set an international example.
Mikecz Dániel pointed out that the “public capital” of the influencers who organized the protest, such as Pottyondy Edina, Osváth Zsolt, Nemakarokbeleszólni, Jólvanezígy and Fókuszcsoport, does not come from professional authority in the traditional sense. They do not refer to scientific results or artistic works, but to the mass of followers they have accumulated on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
The success of the protest was also indicated by the fact that the participants formed an extremely heterogeneous group. Students, pensioners, families, intellectuals and workers were all present, expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s policies on banners and transparencies.
The focus was primarily on the shortcomings of the state organization of child protection, but the protesters also emphasized that due to the serious shortcomings of the justice system, the average person can no longer feel safe.
Humor and sarcasm played a key role in organizing the protest. The organizers consciously built on memes and a humorous tone, which contributed to the message of the protest reaching younger generations more easily.
Music also played an important role in the protest. Several bands and performers performed, whose songs reflected and strengthened the mood of the protesters.
Civil organizations also actively participated in the protest. Anti-corruption organizations, groups concerned about press freedom, and activists advocating for social justice were present.
The question remains whether influencers and musicians, who have a significantly larger number of followers than political parties, can create continuous pressure to influence government policy.