Seen how widespread grassroots memorialisation
is, it clearly matters to a lot of people. To the
survivors, these memorials and their accompanying
commemorative activism provide a certain comfort,
as they demonstrate social empathy and solidarity,
closeness and understanding. But the main purpose
of these memorials is to address therapeutic needs of
their makers – individuals and communities. In the
aftermath of violence, memorialisation in a public
space helps shell shocked populations to process the
impact of unexpected loss and violence (see Truc
2018). As such, memorialisation helps to restore
shaken bonds in the community and reassures one’s
sense of security.
Graffiti in the street of the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris | PIctures:
Ana Milošević
Yet, some people find grassroots memorials
disturbing, and even false. When the tributes placed
at site start deteriorating they are an eyesore for the
community. Usually this is one of the main reasons
to start the dismantlement of a memorial. In Nice
(France) after the lorry attack on Promenade des
Anglais some of the mourners used the memorial
to express anger and frustration. They were
spitting at the place where the attacker was shot.
In Brussels, following the attacks in 2016, a small
group of anti-immigrant protesters contested the
public outpouring of grief. They demolished tributes
accusing the mourners of false and unjustified
grief— since they didn’t know the victims.
The recent terrorist attacks around Europe, however,
have shown that grief transcends the sphere of
personal and national. The images and stories
of these memorials are replayed countless times
through media forging communities around crises.
Individuals and communities that did not suffer
a loss have used memorialisation to express their
closeness. It is through solidarity in grief that many
grassroots monuments have been created in the
cities and countries around the world. To remember
the victims of Berlin attacks or London bombings,
national landmarks such as Burj Khalifa in UEA or
Tour Eiffel lit in colours of Germany and UK. Flowers
and candles were left at the doorsteps of the British,
Canadian or French embassies.
60
Observing Memories
ISSUE 2