Thousands Throng Faiz Festival, Students Mobilise For Solidarity March

Thousands Throng Faiz Festival, Students Mobilise For Solidarity March
The Faiz International Festival was held at the Alhamra Arts Center in Lahore with thousands of people partaking in the event, and students mobilising for an upcoming student solidarity march.

The sessions held under the event aimed to discuss the politics of the left, the era of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and the way forward for Pakistan in the contemporary era.

A major highlight of the event was the performance of students whereby they read poetry and raised slogans of dissent in a musical manner.

https://twitter.com/ShirazHassan/status/1196102270317928450?s=20

The performance engendered a debate among Twitterati, where one side argued how the students were part of the elite and their actions to protests against the right of the lower classes would amount to nothing.

Yet there were others who gave their full support to the performance, saying that students protesting for housing and shelter, and against sexual violence and climate change were the way forward against repressive regimes.

Activist Tooba Syed took to Twitter, and I sarcastic manner, dispelled the notion that students fighting for issues that plagued everyone were elitists.

https://twitter.com/Tooba_Sd/status/1196380578876133376?s=20

The students’ performance was part of a mobilisation campaign for an upcoming Student Solidarity March, which is going to be held on November 29th.

https://twitter.com/ShirazHassan/status/1196354971643588608?s=20

The Student Solidarity March received a massive amount of support from students, activists, academics and ordinary people.

Leftist political activists Aimen Bucha stated that the critique of this march as an elitist venture was baseless.

https://twitter.com/AimenBucha/status/1196358103438151680?s=20

Journalist Aima Khosa called on people to not pay attention to ‘cynical commentaries’ and instead support students in their demand for representation.

https://twitter.com/aimaMK/status/1196345597906882560?s=20

Academic Ammar Ali Jan stated that he was heartened to see the support for the student solidarity march and expressed concern about the ‘baseless allegations’ about them being elites.

https://twitter.com/ammaralijan/status/1196405851130605568?s=20

Academic Nida Kirmani expressed frustration over the fact that who don’t protest against injustices against oppression are making baseless allegations against those trying to make the world a better place.

https://twitter.com/nidkirm/status/1196365222245814277?s=20

Journalist Maleeha Manzoor also pointed out that those who criticise young people for not being politicised are criticising them over their backgrounds.

https://twitter.com/MaleehaManzoor/status/1196360916226510854?s=20

 

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