#EndSARS: The Loud Irresistible Generation I Belong to
We have been called the phone-pressing generation, lazy youths, irresponsible, jobless, and more. But what do you say when we take these insults, own them, and throw them back at the older generation to let them know that we can be all of these and fabulous regardless?
This is what is happening with the #EndSARS movement that has been top of the news in Nigeria in the past week. We have owned the shame they threw at us and turned it into something beautiful that is changing Nigeria, in bits.
Background: SARS stands for the Special Anti-robbery Squad in Nigeria and while this sounds like a good thing, the problem here is that this squad can easily pass for formal armed robbers. They are doing what they are supposedly meant to be fighting against. For years, we have called for the dissolution of this group, yet nothing has happened. This unit has been reformed five different times but here we are, still in a deep pit. Many young people have been killed, oppressed, and locked up in police cells unjustly- not allowed to exercise their rights.
To the Nigerian youths, SARS is a useless group that the Nation would be better off without. So, on the 8th of October 2020, we took it to the streets to protest that the government should End SARS.
It’s been roughly a week since the protests began and it hasn’t been easy but I belong to a loud irresistible generation and it is with great delight that I share our story with you.
It Started with an Agenda
We’ve always had one end goal, which is to scrap the special anti-robbery squad but the agenda is a bit different this time. We aren’t going to stop until they put an end to it. It started from random Twitter conversations and the recurring cases of the oppression of SARS and we decided that enough was and is enough! We don’t want any form of reform but that the group should be dissolved with immediate effect.
This is what has kept us going. We have lost lives in the process, we have been harassed by the police force that is meant to protect us, we have been tear-gassed, shot at, beaten, locked up in cells. All because we chose to protest for what’s right. The most ridiculous thing is fighting to end police brutality, yet they are trying to stop us by still doing the same thing we are asking them to stop. Despite all these, Nigerian Youths have refused to give up.
We know our goal. We know what we want. And regardless of the force against us, we won’t stop until we get it. The number of people protesting each day is on the rise in different states across Nigeria and beyond, including Ghana, New York, London, Berlin, Germany, and France.
We are Organized
In the past few days, we have observed how beautiful Nigeria can be when we all come together and agree on something. We have used our voices, organizations, brands, and other existing platforms to work towards achieving this goal.
We have thrown our differences aside; our tribalism, misogyny, patriarchal and anti-feminist views/banter, and more. For this one cause, we have chosen to see beyond these and walk hand-in-hand as a team to make this worth it. It’s beautiful to see.
We have put our money in what we believe in and have raised millions of naira to push this agenda. We have come out in numbers to lend our voices. Everyone seems to be playing their parts where they can.
Some Highlights:
- Christians are taking prayer walks across Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and other states and organizing online prayer chains to fight the battles in the spiritual realm as they also protest in-person.
- Photographers and videographers are documenting graphical content that will tell our stories now and in the future.
- Lawyers are stepping in, in full force, to protect the right of the protesters, release them from prison cells, and clear them off wrong charges that might have been pressed on them.
- Doctors and health practitioners are seen on protest sites, providing first aid to injured protesters and sending in ambulances for emergencies.
- The mental health sector is also not left out, as the Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative has been at the forefront of supporting people who might be having panic attacks or emotional breakdown this period. They recently released 12 telephone numbers anyone can call if they need help, as they completely give in to ensure we stay sane as much as we can.
- Content creators are providing information about what is happening in the most creative ways.
- Journalists and Content Writers are telling our stories.
- Restaurants, food brands, and individual chefs are providing food, snacks, and water for protesters. No one should be hungry while protesting.
- Several people are helping other online protesters with internet subscriptions to ensure they stay online at all costs.
- Kind Nigerians are assisting with sanitation, as they pick up the litter during and after the protest.
We have also made private security available since some thugs have been paid to hijack the protests and attack protesters violently. There’s now a helpline to help with emergencies. All these within a week!
All these are done by Nigerian youths for Nigerian youths. We are making use of all our resources and connections to bring about a change. We are ready for this fight and if it becomes a war between the youths and the masses, we are ready to win and in our popular slogan, “WE DIE HERE”.
The Brands Supporting Us
For a protest with a group of people who have collectively agreed not to have a leader or self-acclaimed hero, we need all the support we can get. Every day, on Twitter, since the beginning of the protest, there is at least one brand publicly announcing their donations to the fund that has been set up for this purpose.
We have closely observed how the traditional media and companies went mute on us for days until they were dragged. Some celebrities were not spared either as they tried to walk on eggshells while focusing on creating an aesthetically-pleasing Instagram feed and not getting involved in the protest. So, we took matters into our hands. If the older generation and traditional media/companies refuse to support us, we will do it ourselves and that’s on period!
Don’t mess with the Nigerian youth.
It’s no longer news how the tech industry has evolved in Nigeria over the last decade and it’s interesting to know that majority of these startups are owned and managed by young Nigerians in their 20s and 30s. Little wonder it makes it easier to get their support because this concerns them too.
The Benjamin Dada blog gives an insight into how Nigerian tech companies are supporting the protest, including the ones that have been silent so far.
The good news is that Nigerians are watching. We are willing to boycott any brand that has refused to support the movement. At some point, we even started talking about “Na the brand wey support us we go support” and other variants; just replace “brand” with any other thing.
Kiki Mordi, an Emmy nominated Investigative Journalist in Nigeria tweeted about appreciating these brands and how we can document their support so far, so we can patronize them.
Nigerian youths are not playing, neither are the organizations and structures they have created. We throw in our full support and when we show up, we go all out.
Feminist Coven/Coalition
It wasn’t long ago when Nigerian Feminists were tagged “Feminist Coven” by Segun Awosanya, alias Segalink, amidst a rape outrage that went out of control. We graciously owned this tag with our chests and made the best of what was supposed to be derogatory.
Today, we have Feminist Coalition, formed by the same members of the “Coven” and I dare say the ministry is moving in the best way you can imagine. This group has, in the last few days, coordinated the crowdfunding for the protest across the nation and distributed them appropriately across protest locations, while still being consistently accountable for how the money is spent.
The power of Nigerian women coming together is a story that must be told. The good news is that we can tell this story properly today for generations to come and not sweep it under the carpet.
If you’re an active Nigerian Twitter user, you must have seen how women have fully owned and supported this movement in the past few days. These are not just ordinary Nigerian women; they are women who publicly identify as feminists and would fight for a just cause.
In no particular order, I’ll make a list of feminists I have personally observed to be running things effectively as we protest.
Aisha Yesufu has been at the forefront of the protests in Abuja and you’ve probably seen some of her iconic photos like the one above. She’s fearless and vocal about her truth. She stands in the face of fear and in her words, “all die na die”.
Rinu Oduala’s pictures trended at the beginning of the protest and her energy encouraged more people to keep pushing and protest. Her voice is still loud and she’s still actively involved in the Lagos protests.
Folakemi Abudu is our Queen, as she mobilizes the major units, specifically as it pertains to funds and legal moves. She has so far led the crowdfunding, assisted in disbursing funds from the Feminist Coalition, and used the resources within her power to release protesters from police cells.
Moe Odele says if there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s the legal sector. She has thrown in her full support to mobilize lawyers in different states where they are needed to rescue protesters who have been charged wrongly.
Kiki Mordi has enough energy to power 5 women. She’s out there protesting, speaking, organizing journalists, coordinating funds, and more.
Odun Eweniyi is a leader who has also been at the forefront, using all that is within her power to make change happen.
Tife Soloye is an ever-ready activist, as she gathered protesters at Lekki Ikoyi and has been loud about the movement. She’s definitely not one to be silenced.
Funmi Oyatogun is busy mobilizing food, ambulances, and any other thing that needs an extra organizing hand.
Blessing Abeng as a branding whiz has taken it upon herself not only to create helpful content on her page but also to receive donations and feed more people. She’s working hand-in-hand with Funmi on distributing the feeding money across different locations.
Rene Noire has been unapologetically providing airtime to as many Nigerians as possible to ensure they have enough mobile data to stay online and continue the protest. Her favorite phrase right now is probably “Don’t greet me”.
There are many more women out there doing amazing things and while I wish I can acknowledge them all, that’s not the focus of this post and I, sadly, can’t notice everyone. I’ve watched these women close in the last few days and I’m super proud as they work together in solidarity toward the progress of the #EndSARS movement. Without these women, I wonder how we would have managed to keep this protest moving.
Iretiola Doyle, a Nollywood actress, best captures it in her tweet. She calls it an ‘“uncoordinated” coordinated manner’
Just recently, Jack of Twitter showed his solidarity to the movement and we couldn’t have been prouder, as he did not only tweet about it but also verified relevant accounts to the movement: FK, Moe, Aisha Yesufu, Adetola, and the Feminist Coalition.
Our energy is refueled and we are ready to go again to fight for our nation.
To every other woman out there protesting, lending their voice, and standing in the face of fear, we see you! You may not be recognized here but your efforts are valid regardless.
Ozzy Etomi said something about this at the beginning of the month:
We Press Phones
We are the phone-pressing generation and I dare say we press this phone well. We have used this phone-pressing behavior to lead a protest that the international media and organizations are now interested in. We have trended the hashtag- #ENDSARS worldwide until we got the attention of our president and governors. We have used these same phones to protest online, especially for those who are unable to go to a live protest location.
With our phones, we have crowdfunded, organize teams, rendered help and support to those who need them, conducted prayers across the nation, documented our history, and more.
The phone-pressing generation is not one to mess with. With technological advancement comes even more opportunities and I’m glad we are using that to our advantage.
We Get Coconut Head
We are the stubborn generation, also known as the generation with “coconut heads”, which is a good thing if you ask me. Only a stubborn generation will not be comfortable with mediocrity and won’t stop fighting until they get what they want.
The older generation is probably divided into two categories right now: the ones who are proud of us and will cheer us on until the end and the ones who believe we are stubborn (read: coconut heads) and unemployed.
Either way, we move. The stubbornness seems to be working for us. If what it takes for the government to listen to us is to be stubborn, then so be it.
What Now?
Sadly, SARS is yet to be scrapped. I’d have loved to end this piece on a happy note but Nigeria is in a deep mess and we seem to be fighting too many battles at once.
The good part is that we can see progress so far. They have tried to reform SARS or even rename it SWAT- Special Weapons and Tactics. But we are not having any of that. Until the entire SARS is scrapped and the police are reformed to do their work, I don’t see the protests ending.
This is the generation I’m proud to be a part of. Perhaps, in the future, our descendants would proudly sing that part of our national anthem that says “the labor of our heroes past shall never be in vain” because, indeed, their heroes past (which is us) labored for a better nation.
And let it be said, ladies and gentlemen, that in the same month and year that Nigeria celebrated its 60th year of Independence, its youths rose for a cause and got what they wanted.
We wait.
Aluta continua.
