This essay is about the demonstrations that were held upon the outbreak of the coronavirus, the imposition of the lockdown, and the travel restrictions. In its first part the concept of “spectacle,” proposed by Guy Debord, serves to characterize the mediation of social and political relations of the protests of this time through images and forms of performance. In its second part, by way of comparison between photographs from different demonstrations, it presents the connection that was created between the visual appearance and the technological possibilities of representation and presentation, and the political logic of the demonstration.

Debord used the term “spectacle” to describe the alienation people feel when reality is mediated through a television set as well as through false images. It occupies a central place in Debord’s criticism of social inequality and the cultural mechanisms that lead to the depoliticizatian of social relations. In contrast with Debord, the article proposes viewing the current demonstrations, which rely on the internet and social networks, as spectacle demonstrations. The screen of distinction between the spectators and the protesters collapses; the images on the social networks, even the unrealistic ones, shape the political lives of the users of those networks. Thus, the increasing awareness of activists and protesters of the visual products and their creation influences the protest activity and shapes it while it is happening. The essay analyzes three photographs: one from the “Black Flags” protest in Rabin Square, the second from a Zoom demonstration by the “Breaking the Walls” and “Kan Tukam” movements at the home of the director-general of the Finance Ministry, and the third from the demonstrations on Balfour Street. A comparison between the three images reveals the social and political impact of the pandemic on forms of civilian political representation.