ABSTRACT
This contribution analyses social movements in the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. On the one hand, the pandemic has exacerbated social inequalities, causing hate and xenophobia and anti-foreigner sentiment to explode: conspiracy theories have taken over and anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hatreds have polarized social orientations. On the other hand, social movements and citizens have multiplied initiatives to help each other, fostering and organizing solidarity and care in their neighbourhoods and at both micro and macro levels: throughout the lockdown stages, popular movements and civil society organizations carried out mutual aid initiatives to meet the basic needs of their fellow citizens. This paper presents a review of some of the latter forms worldwide. While often the study of social movements focuses on the political outcomes and efficiency of protests or civil society, in this another fundamental aspect is highlighted: mutual aid, self-help and care among activists, in the neighbourhood, in the community or with other fellow citizens are collective forms of social criticism characterized by overabundance.
