Five inspiring stories of resistance and rebellion from 2023
- Text by Huck
While the past year’s global outlook has become ever darker, we’ve been spotlighting the activists, artists and communities who have been keeping hope alive against the grain. Here are five spotlight stories of resistance and action from the past 12 months.
1. THE DRAG NIGHT AT THE HEART OF LGBTQ RIGHTS IN NAMIBIA
Amid a growing LGBTQ+ civil rights movement and multiple Supreme Court hearings that represent a crucial moment for equality in the country, Drag Night Namibia provides a space for queer joy and solidarity. Read here.
2. THE GAZA BREAKDANCE CREW HELPING CHILDREN ESCAPE THE TRAUMA OF WAR
The Camps Breakerz Crew have spent 20 years bringing hip-hop and breakdancing culture to the Gaza strip, offering psychological relief to children growing up in war through movement and dance. Read here.
3. GRETA THUNBERG ARRESTED LEADING PROTEST AGAINST OIL CONFERENCE
The Swedish climate activist joined hundreds in central London to demonstrate against the Energy Intelligence Forum. Read here.
4. INSIDE THE STRATFORD THEATRE BEING USED AS A WARM BANK
To freeze, or not to freeze? Read here.
5. PHOTOS CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS BOLIVIAN WOMEN IN EXTREME SPORTS
Photographer Celia D. Luna documents skaters, wrestlers and mountain climbers who also identify as ‘cholitas’ – a once derogatory term for indigenous women who endured decades of discrimination, but have come to represent an integral part of Bolivian national identity. Read here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Twitter and Instagram.
Support stories like these by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
Tender portraits of women serving life sentences in America
Looking Inside — While working as a public defender attorney in New York State, Sara Bennett found dilapidated prisons and forgotten people. Her new photobook harnesses the power of images and shines a humanising light on those imprisoned for serious crimes and their reintegration into society, while asking questions of the USA’s incarceration system.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Activists replace Union Jacks with ‘Tax The Rich’ flags in Farage’s Clacton
Take Back Power — It comes after the Reform UK leader resigned as an MP and triggered a by-election in the constituency, following scrutiny over a £5 million donation that he had not declared.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain
Vandalism on a Grand Scale — Capturing youth unemployment and poverty in north-east England during the ’80s, the photographer never lived to see her work published. A new photobook by British Culture Archive brings her eye-opening work to light.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Ra’ed Khan and the tireless work of Road to Freedom
Hurriyah — Having been providing frontline aid and support to refugees for over a decade, a new book featuring poetry by Omar Mooro traces the story of the NGO. In this chapter extract, founder and music executive Ra’ed Khan explains its origins.
Written by: Isaac Muk
‘Baking Street’: Activists rename Tube stations in heatwave protest
‘Heatwave, sponsored by Shell’ — The protest comes as the UK recorded the hottest day in June ever recorded at 36.7C.
Written by: Ella Glossop
An intimate window into New York’s ’70s lesbian scene
We Others — An exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery combines Donna Gottschalk’s unearthed photographs of LGBTQ+ activists and friends, along with Hélène Gianneccini’s written histories.
Written by: Miss Rosen