Protest flows in St. Petersburg space: thisness of deterritorialisation and reterritorialization

Abstract

The article considered an analysis of the influence of social and physical space on the flow patterns of protest in St.Petersburg. We considered and analyzed the main areas attracting protest flows in St.Petersburg and their influence on the dramaturgy of political protests. The article presents models of reterritorialised and deterritorialised protest in their relationship with the flows in urban space. To extend the concept of deterritorialisation and the related concept of reterritorialisation we turn to the works of G. Deleuze and F. Guattari. We also use some B. Latour texts. Space in our work is considered to be an accomplice of the protest action, affecting the flow of protest. With protest flow we mean any movement of the characters, images, ideas, people, and objects, as well as the continuous sequence of actions aimed at dissent. At present, protest flows in St. Petersburg are deterritorialised and isolated. Logical centre of power in modern St. Petersburg are such that they prevent protest from unfolding. Thus the model of reterritorialisation as the development of protesters’ physical space is difficult for various reasons. Protest actions that enact the deterritorialized scenario are aimed at implementing the function of psychological relief, and not on the dialogue between the authorities and protesters. That under certain conditions can cause the protesters to reterritorialize the desire to implement a model of protest, which inevitably leads to physical confrontations and conflicts. Refs 25.