From Pixels to People
Moving Beyond Performative Activism
I’ve seen a lot of people enraged by this and similarly - I want to vent.
What is this photo?
There is something deeply repulsive about this AI image when the real footage of Palestinians enduring unimaginable horrors already exists. Videos of families murdered and starved, torn to pieces, of homes reduced to rubble, of an entire population live broadcasting their deaths. These are not abstract images created by an algorithm—they are the unfiltered reality captured by real lives living for generations under apartheid and dying under genocide. These are not mere data points or pixels; they are the cries of a people forced to fight for their very existence. The AI image, detached from this reality, is a hollow gesture by so so many, an empty signal of solidarity that fails to grasp first and foremost, the humanity of Palestinians, and secondly, the immediacy and the gravity of the situation.
Honestly, the dehumanisation deepens when we consider what the AI image actually is: hundreds of trucks symbolising aid rolling into Gaza. Yet, as we know - no such relief arrived – either blocked or destroyed at the hands of Israhell and their equally deranged western counterparts. All I can see is a false narrative, a digital mirage that soothes the conscience of those who share it, while the people of Palestine continue to be killed under layers of oppression, waiting in vain for real assistance.
Looking beyond the AI, to those who re-shared this image, I ask: what action follows your post? The act of sharing might feel like a contribution, but in reality, it is often where the action ends. This false binary of putting those on a pedestal for sharing these token images continue to play out time and time again and is something we as a society need to transcend from if we are to maintain enriched action. It absolves the sharer from taking further steps, from engaging in the tangible, difficult work that true solidarity demands. The digital realm is important, but only in conjunction with the realm of real, impactful action. Are you taking comfort in a convenient escape from deeper engagement?
If we are only looking at the Palestinian genocide from October last year, that’s still months of tireless work by Palestinians, the diaspora, surrounding communities and activists laying the groundwork. The ease at which you can now participate in these movements is built on the backs of those who have been fighting relentlessly, organising, disrupting, and producing an ocean of ways to educate yourself. The lists of how to contribute are out there, in their thousands.
Sharing an image is a start, but it cannot be the end. The real footage of devastation, the real massacres, the real attempt at the evisceration of heritage and culture, must be met with real responses. We are looking at the fight of a community whose human rights have been violated for decades and whose fight is merged with their ancestors blood. Do not allow yourself to be lulled into a false sense of accomplishment by a digital token.
It is incredibly jarring to witness how intimately connected Palestinians are to their land, to watch the way they defend it, the way they fight against the suffering of communities facing the same injustice - when it stands in such stark contrast to the performative “activism” we are seeing – are we not embarrassed? Honour the resilience of those being murdered and take real action.
Our interconnectedness cries out through the voices of the oppressed, and it is our duty to listen, to act, and to ensure that our efforts lead to real lasting change. Let our eyes, hearts, AND brains, be on Rafah, not just through the lens of AI but through the lens of resistance and justice.
Oceans rise, empires fall.
Free Palestine.