Blue for Sudan: Why is everyone making their profile pictures blue on Instagram?
13 June 2019, 15:54
The Sudan crisis has inspired the blue profile picture movement on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter...
People, including Demi Lovato, are making their profile pictures blue for Sudan on social media right now to raise awareness about the Sudan crisis.
MORE: Blue for Sudan is being exploited by Instagram users to gain more followers
Recently people on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have been replacing their profile pictures with a simple blue image. The social media movement is in response to the ongoing atrocities currently taking place in Sudan.
Last week, over 100 peaceful protestors were killed and yet news coverage in the US and Europe has been almost non-existent. There is currently an internet lockdown in Sudan. People are using social media to draw attention to the horrific news.
What is happening in Sudan? The crisis explained.
In April 2019, Omar al-Bashir was removed from his position as President of Sudan by armed forces after months of protests from citizens. Last December, Bashir imposed severe austerity measures in Sudan in which he limited access to bread, fuel and cash. Following the coup, the military promised to agree to a civilian rule but have instead taken control of the country, leading unarmed demonstrators to hold a two day strike in Khartoum.
In response, the Sudanese military raided the protestors. The Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, reports that their violence killed 52 people and injured 784. However, many follow-up articles claim that over 100 people have died. The military have also cut off access to the internet. It's imperative that we don't turn a blind eye to what is happening and act to help Sudanese people find safety.
The blue profile picture movement is working to ensure that the Sudan crisis isn't ignored. Taking to Instagram, Sudanese-American campaigner Remaz Mahgoub a wrote: "This is an effort to raise awareness as we the Sudanese diaspora are the only voice left. The internet has been completely turned off in Sudan, the government has shut it down in order to conceal its massacres and crimes against civilians."
Why is the Blue for Sudan profile picture blue?
Khalaleyal then added: "Please change your profile photo and let the world know what is happening. We cannot be silenced. United we stand, divided we fall. Our strength is in our unity. This specific shade of blue is in honor of the martyr Mohammed Mattar. @mattar77 Rest In Peace king. This shade of blue was his profile pic on IG and as a symbol to honor ALL martyrs we’ve changed our dp into blue".
So far, celebrities, such as Demi Lovato and Naomi Campbell, have joined the movement and others including Rihanna and Ariana Grande are using their social media platforms to help raise awareness about the events in Sudan and offer aid to the victims.
