Decolonize This Place

Decolonize This Place
Name	Decolonize This Place
Formation	2015
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	United States
Website	(removed)

Decolonize This Place is an activist collective that emerged in the mid-2010s in New York City, known for direct actions and campaigns connecting Indigenous rights, Palestinian solidarity, and anti-capitalist critique. The group has staged interventions at cultural institutions, transit systems, and public spaces, aligning with movements and organizations across North America and Europe. Its activities intersect with debates involving museums, universities, labor unions, and municipal authorities, drawing both support and controversy from figures, institutions, and movements in the arts and political spheres.

History and Origins

Decolonize This Place originated from networks linked to the Occupy movement and contemporary anti-colonial activism, drawing upon affinities with Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, Idle No More, Sovereignty Movement (native rights), and anti-austerity protests in Europe such as Indignados movement. Early influences included writers and organizers associated with Ta-Nehisi Coates, Angela Davis, Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, and institutions such as American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Museum, and Whitney Museum of American Art where interventions later occurred. Founders and early participants had prior involvement in campaigns around Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Gaza protests (2014), and solidarity work tied to Palestinian National Initiative and BDS movement. The group's emergence coincided with municipal debates involving figures like Bill de Blasio, Michael Bloomberg, and cultural leaders at Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art.

Goals and Activism

The collective frames its aims around undoing settler-colonial structures and combating imperialism, aiming to influence policies of institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, New York Transit Authority, and university systems including City University of New York and Columbia University. It connects campaigns to broader efforts involving United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, labor struggles exemplified by Service Employees International Union and United Auto Workers, and solidarity networks including Jewish Voice for Peace and Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Activism addresses cultural restitution debates involving Elgin Marbles, Benin Bronzes, and repatriation cases linked to Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act while engaging with legal and political forums such as European Court of Human Rights, International Criminal Court, and municipal legislatures including New York City Council.

Major Campaigns and Actions

Notable actions included protests at institutions like Queens Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Lewis Henry Morgan House, and transportation hubs associated with Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The collective engaged in campaigns targeting cultural exhibitions related to Aldous Huxley-era archives, contested trustees such as those affiliated with Leon Black, and philanthropic controversies tied to families like the Rockefellers, Sacklers, and Guggenheim. Direct actions intersected with campaigns around Columbia University protests (1968), contemporary sit-ins referencing ACT UP, and coordinated days of action echoing tactics of Million Man March-era mobilizations. The group collaborated with or influenced demonstrations connected to Free Palestine Marches, Climate Strike (2019), and labor actions including Port shutdowns (2014) and Teachers' strikes in Chicago.

Organizational Structure and Key Figures

Operating as a fluid collective without formal hierarchy, the project included participants drawn from networks linked to Avaaz, Color Of Change, PEN America, and local activist groups such as Desis Rising Up and Moving and Arab American Association of New York. Public-facing spokespeople and organizers have been associated with allied organizations including Israel/Palestine: Apartheid? forums, and individuals who have worked with institutions like New School, NYU, and Barnard College. The collective's tactics have attracted engagement from journalists and commentators connected to outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, The Intercept, and Democracy Now! while provoking responses from public officials including members of United States Congress and municipal leaders like Mayor of New York City.

Criticism and Controversies

The group has faced criticism from cultural institutions including trustees at Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of the City of New York, commentators at Wall Street Journal, and advocacy organizations such as Anti-Defamation League and Human Rights Watch. Accusations have included claims of antisemitism raised by groups like American Jewish Committee and disputes with organizations such as Jewish Federations of North America; defenders have cited solidarity networks including IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace. Law enforcement responses involved coordination with New York Police Department and municipal authorities; legal scrutiny intersected with civil liberties organizations like ACLU and court actions in New York State Supreme Court contexts. Public debates referenced high-profile legal and political figures including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Eric Schneiderman, and commentators tied to Fox News and MSNBC.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

The collective influenced museum policy debates concerning provenance and restitution highlighted in cases such as Benin Bronzes, spurred institutional reviews at Brooklyn Museum and Museum of Modern Art, and contributed to curricular and campus discussions at institutions like Columbia University and City University of New York. Its tactics informed dialogues among artists and activists tied to Guerrilla Girls, Ai Weiwei, Tania Bruguera, and cultural producers associated with Documenta and Venice Biennale. The movement's interventions have been cited in scholarship connected to academics at Harvard University, Columbia University, New York University, and University of California, Berkeley, and have resonated with global campaigns like United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and transnational solidarity networks including International Solidarity Movement.

Category:Activist collectives Category:Political movements Category:Indigenous rights movements Category:Palestinian solidarity movement