‘Never again means never again for anyone’: A multimodal analysis of protest stickers as visual resistance during genocide

Abstract

This study examines protest stickers as a medium of political expression and everyday activism, focusing on stickers supporting Palestine during the recent genocide in Gaza. It explores the socio-political narratives embedded in these stickers and how they are constructed and communicated. The dataset comprises over 900 stickers sourced from the official Instagram account @flyers_for-falastin. Using multimodal critical discourse analysis, the study analyses both visual and verbal elements, drawing on framework of visual social semiotics for the visual analysis and socio-discursive framework for the verbal analysis. The findings reveal six key themes: (i) the liberation of Palestine; (ii) testimonies of genocide; (iii) calls to action and support for initiatives; (iv) resistance against fascism; (v) portrayals of Israeli leaders as war criminals and evil; and (vi) Western complicity in genocide and related atrocities. The study concludes that the combined use of visual and linguistic strategies amplifies both the urgency and emotional resonance of genocide-related narratives, inviting viewers not only to take action but also to emotionally engage with the suffering of Palestinians. Despite their small size, protest stickers are shown to function as potent tools of resistance, memory, and global solidarity.