We are living in a time of multiple crises. As of now there is no place on the planet that is unaffected by human caused climate change (IPCC 2021: 2) and even at this moment there are various climate catastrophes happening in different corners of the planet, the UN has called 2021 a ‘make-or-break year for climate actions’ (UNFCCC 2021). Climate activists have been warning of these extreme weather phenomena for decades. Among other environmental movements, a new movement known as Fridays For Future has emerged in 2018. After that the movement has increasingly grown during 2019 and could grab the attention of the public and global media. As they were planning more mass protests for the following year 2020 in order to keep the built momentum, the Covid 19 global pandemic has emerged and has led to a massive restriction of the urban space. These restrictions have challenged their known protest strategies. As a consequence the young movement of Fridays For Future who used to fill the streets, should have rethought its ways of protesting. Therefore, this thesis engages with the new tactics these young activists have established and questions the role of humans and non-humans in a new form of being presence within the restricted urban space.

Using qualitative research methods, I aim to visualize various innovative tactics and strategies that are performed by young activists during this specific time. By using a materialistic lens, this work investigates the usage of the human and material bodies in protest performances during the Covid 19 pandemic on the example of Fridays For Future Hamburg. By perceiving the demonstration as an everyday practice, this thesis sheds light on how these new protest forms are transforming our cities, producing spaces, and becoming one with it by integrating in our everyday life.”

IPCC (2021). Global Warming of 1,5 °C.
UNFCCC (2021). Show Your Stripes Ahead of COP26.