Reclaiming the narrative: ESCAC I MAT brings together tools to counter the far right
The social forum on narratives against the far right brought together social movements, activists and professionals to analyse the reactionary offensive and build collective responses in the streets, in classrooms and online.
On 18 October, the Espai Jove La Fontana in Barcelona hosted ESCAC I MAT: Social Forum on Narratives Against the Far Right, a gathering built around an uncomfortable but necessary idea: the far right is not only gaining votes, it is shaping language, emotions and the topics that dominate public debate.
The opening session, moderated by journalist Laura Aznar, brought together four perspectives that often sit at the centre of reactionary attacks: the right to housing (Carme Arcarazo, Sindicat de Llogateres), institutional racism (Amy Faye, Top Manta), feminisms and masculinities (Laia Mauri), and complicity with Israel’s political project (Alys Samson, CPCI).
Ideas that resonated strongly included the need to acknowledge class conflict in any winning narrative; the growing number of young men drawn into stories of frustration and anger; and the notion that it is easier to blame “youth radicalisation” than to accept that, culturally, society as a whole has shifted to the right.
When hate narratives go viral
Speakers pointed to a shared pattern: the far right capitalises on social distress (precarity, housing exclusion, racism, gender violence) to shift the conflict from structural issues to identity-based frames.
In housing, this takes the form of “the squatter” or the “demographic threat”; in feminist debates, narratives of “liberation” that reproduce old hierarchies; and internationally, the portrayal of Israel as a protective barrier against supposed “internal enemies”.
The response that emerged from the day was clear: reclaim the framework of material conditions, class conflict and solidarity across struggles.
Three working spaces to turn narrative into practice
After the opening debate, the forum split into three simultaneous working groups, which have been distilled into four animated videos with concrete takeaways:
1. Gender, education and masculinities: 5 keys to transforming classrooms
The group led by researcher Alejandro Carabaca outlined five points:
- A community-based perspective and collaboration with local organisations.
- Empathy and emotional awareness, acknowledging fears and frustrations.
- Engaging boys as active participants in transforming the system.
- A shared strategy grounded in collective change.
- An intersectional and decolonial perspective that questions white, Eurocentric feminism.
2. Narrative, social media and cultural battle: how to respond (or not) to online hate
The workshop facilitated by Cuellilargo analysed far-right digital tactics (shitposting, rage bait, flood the zone or the “pipeline of garbage”) and proposed two main strategies:
- Do not engage: avoid boosting hateful content through interactions.
- Collective digital self-defence: coordinated reporting, mutual support and protocols for managing harassment.
3. Streets, rights and communities: everyday practices that sustain life
The group led by Bittah (Versembrant) identified criteria for designing inclusive and transversal community proposals: public-space activities not centred on consumption, intergenerational and intercultural gatherings, class-aware and ecological approaches, and initiatives that strengthen collective wellbeing and participation.
The shared conclusion: without community ties and everyday practices of mutual support, no counter-narrative can take root.
Available materials
- a video summary of the forum with key ideas (catalan),
- short videos featuring the speakers’ interventions (catalan),
- animated videos with conclusions from each working group (catalan and spanish),
- and the graphic report (spanish).
These materials aim to support the continued use of ESCAC I MAT’s tools and reflections in community spaces, educational settings and grassroots organisations beyond the day of the event.