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Published in 1/2025 - Urban Landscape
Sites of Resistance
The rise of protest, activism and alternative memorials challenge urban planners to adopt more flexible approaches to the urban landscape.
At around 5 pm on Saturday, 5 October 2024, I observed a gathering of several dozen activists at the intersection of Keskuskatu and Kaivokatu, just in front of Helsinki Railway Station. Protesters chanted such phrases as: Free Palestine! Stop the genocide!
The demonstration was part of a series of global protests calling for a ceasefire and ending of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. It was organised by Sumud, the Finnish Palestine Network, in collaboration with university student associations. The protest included a small artistic installation reminding us of the children who have died in the ongoing conflicts in the Palestinian territory. The temporary memorial exhibited children’s clothing, toys and written messages displayed on the pavements. It remained in place for several hours after the protest concluded, drawing the attention of passers-by, who appeared to be curious about the memorial’s purpose, reading its messages and engaging with organisers.
Various protesters have taken over public spaces in Finland and the Nordic region, with their prevalence increasing in recent years. Studies on social movements have identified a wide range of concerns that are expressed through such demonstrations, including the long-term resistance of ethnic minorities such as Sámi populations, advocacy for social rights among farmers, miners, workers, the unemployed and students, the struggles of immigrants and asylum seekers, and environmental and climate change activism, exemplified by Elokapina – Extinction Rebellion Finland.
Public debate and social research in Finland have predominantly focused on understanding the demands of activists, their organisation and articulation, the responses of organisations, and the reactions of authorities. However, the role of urban space, the use of art installations, and the creation of memorials during public demonstrations have received comparatively less attention in architecture and urban-related disciplines. While urban landscapes have long been the sites for different practices and expressions of conviviality and sociability, recent trends reveal protesters occupying urban spaces and employing temporary memorials to articulate broader social and political concerns.
The proliferation of protests across cities underscores the intricate relationship between urban spaces and politics. Some activists have endeavoured to memorialise collective struggles and losses. For example, a temporary memorial was erected outside the Russian Embassy in Tallinn on the metal fencing that protected the building entrance. This temporary installation was intended to commemorate Ukrainians, displaying flags, messages, flowers, candles and toys in memory of those who have died during the ongoing conflicts. Passers-by were invited to write messages, fostering remembrance and calls for peace.
The creation of art installations in urban spaces as “alternative” temporary memorials evokes the idea of counter-monuments and anti-monuments. Such unconventional forms of commemoration have gained momentum in recent decades, with scholars, including James Young, Andreas Huyssen and Marianne Hirsch, writing on Holocaust memorialisation since the 1980s. For Young, counter-monuments reject and renegotiate “the traditional forms and reasons for public memorial art”.
Counter-monuments typically challenge traditional concepts of commemoration and monumentality. Unlike “conventional” monuments, which are usually permanent and honour historical figures, events or values, counter-monuments seek to question, oppose or subvert these traditional forms of remembrance. They aim to spark critical reflection, confront dominant narratives, and engage memories in more interactive, temporary or abstract ways.
Anti-monuments, by contrast, are typically a form of direct resistance or protest. While they also reject traditional forms of monumentality, anti-monuments tend to be informal, often created without official approval, and usually temporary and driven by activism.
The processes of remembering and forgetting are, therefore, deeply engrained in the urban landscape. The social movements and the arts have political power in reshaping urban spaces, particularly emblematic buildings and heritage sites. Such debates are, however, often flattened or oversimplified in architectural narratives, heritage discourses and urban planning policies, which typically focus on establishing or conserving conventional memorials, neglecting spaces for conflict and resistance.
The social movements and the arts have political power in reshaping urban spaces, particularly emblematic buildings and heritage sites.
The emergence of alternative memorials has several important implications for professionals in architecture, urban planning and heritage disciplines. Practitioners may need to acknowledge that urban spaces are also crucial sites for unconventional forms of commemoration and activism. This recognition would require urban specialists to revise their existing frameworks and regulations. Architects, urban planners and heritage experts may need to adopt more flexible and adaptive approaches that consider the active participation of activists and the demands of affected communities using the urban spaces. Practitioners may face challenges in navigating evolving legal frameworks and reconciling regulatory requirements and the responses of authorities with the expectations of activists and communities.
Moreover, urban experts may need to acknowledge that alternative memorials often try to challenge the existing status quo. Activists do not seek approval, legitimation or official recognition for these installations. Their efforts extend beyond occupying public spaces and serve as a means to articulate broader demands linked to issues of war, violence, injustice, environmental matters and insufficient state intervention.
Finally, unconventional memorials often engage with sensitive and traumatic histories, requiring urban practitioners to approach these projects ethically and responsibly. The striking of a balance between traditional forms of commemoration and alternative memorials is essential to creating spaces that honour victims and support their communities. The rise of protests and the creation of temporary and alternative memorials may invite us – in urban-related disciplines – to reflect on, rethink and redefine the role of the urban landscape as a platform for addressing broader issues, as well as our positionalities within these debates. ↙
FERNANDO GUTIÉRREZ is an urban researcher and architect who completed a PhD in urban studies at UCL (University College London). His research focuses on public spaces, urban heritage and regeneration.