The Revolutions by Ordinary People

by Raúl Zibechi (Translated by Cristina Cielo), Johannesburg Workshop in Theory and Criticism

 First published in La Jornada, 03 June 2011
as "Las revoluciones de la gente común".

In the most diverse corners of the planet, ordinary people are coming out onto the streets, occupying plazas, meeting up with other ordinary people who they did not know but who they immediately recognize. None of them waited to be convened, they were driven by the need to discover themselves. They do not calculate the consequences of their acts, they act based on what they feel, desire and dream. We find ourselves faced with real revolutions, profound changes and paradigmatic shifts, even if those in power believe that all will return to "normal" once the plazas and streets are cleared.