Conceptual review examines spatial dynamics during protest marches, suggesting that physical movement reshapes social bonds, reimagines public space, and reorganizes political power.
Many expressions of solidarity are mobile in nature. Whether marching through a city, walking to make claims upon territory, or communicating across struggles, the spatial politics of solidarity is often shaped through its mobility. In this review article, we consider this spatial politics of mobile solidarity. We bring into conversation scholarship on solidarity that is mobile in nature and scholarship on mobility politics, to argue for a renewed engagement with mobile political formations. We make these arguments by drawing together literature on mobility politics and solidarity to frame such mobile spatial politics. At the same time, our commentary draws upon our own experiences as researchers and participants within mobile demonstrations. In drawing attention to these interests, our argument here is that attending closely to the mobile and solidarity aspects of mobile solidarity can unearth three new understandings of spatial politics. First, the relationships fostered through participation in marches and being together in space. Second, the alterity of reimagining public space that marching enables. Third, a consideration of the power relationships within and beyond mobile solidarities that both cause marches and result from marches.
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Griffin et al. (2026) studied this question.
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