ABSTRACT
Social movements have historically used coalition-building as a strategy for mobilizing increased support and resources to their movement. Social movement theorists have argued that geographical and spatial isolation often left few opportunities for transnational coalition-building due to the lack of “free space” for organizing and coordination. However, the advent of internet-based technologies, particularly hashtag activism, has created new digital spaces for transnational coalition-building, bringing global dimensions to hyperlocal protest. This chapter draws on the literature on hashtag activism and social movement theory to discuss how hyperlocal protests secure global support, specifically through the case of the #EndSars movement in Nigeria and its digital appeals for coalition-building with the Black Lives Matter movement. Through this case study, it demonstrates how hashtag activism has allowed for new approaches to social movement coalition-building in ways that both align and push against traditional social movement theory.
