Reviewed by Nils C. Kumkar
Marina Sitrin and Dario Azzellini (2014). They Can ’ t Represent Us! Reinventing Democracy From Greece to Occupy . London & New York
The eruption of mass protests after the so called ‘Arab Spring’came as a surprise for many. While some had wondered why the Great Recession that shook most of the worlds’ largest economies did not lead to mass-protests in the years before, it now all went really fast: The ‘Arab Spring’ was followed by mass protests in Greece and Spain, and in September 17th 2011 Zuccotti Park in New York City was occupied by a group that was later commonly referred to as “Occupy Wall Street” (OWS). On October 15 th 2011, discontent articulated itself in mass demonstrations and occupied public spaces all throughout the US and Europe but also in many other countries. This culmination of protest with partially overlapping agendas and/or repertoires was, by participants and onlo okers alike, perceived as one wave sweeping the globe.
