Trashing the sectarian system? Lebanon’s “You Stink” movement and the making of affective publics

Abstract

During the summer of 2015, a garbage management crisis emerged in Beirut after Lebanon’s main landfill was shut down without finding an alternative, and piles of trash grew bigger on the streets, triggering a wave of contentious politics. An activist movement emerged early during the ongoing crisis: called “You Stink,” the movement is led by seasoned activists who display the usual social media savvy and artful protest tactics that echo activism in the Arab Uprisings. Based on a preliminary reading of the movement’s actions and demands, and of the state’s response, this article provides an exploratory analysis of the symbolic world of “You Stink,” focusing on affect and the body, and proffers some initial observations on the extent to which “You Stink” may contribute insights into research on social movements.