From the Ground Up: Tactical Mobilization of Grief in the Case of the Afzaal-Salman Family Killings

Abstract This paper focuses on the murders of Afzaal-Salman family in London, Ontario (Canada) June, 2021. Immediately after were reported, several hashtags different social media emerged, focusing attention victims and commenting Islamophobia that resulted their deaths. Through a critical discourse analysis one these hashtags, #OurLondonFamily was used Twitter Instagram, this examines how grief becomes conveyor subjugated histories experiences Islamophobia, conduit through which politics identity surface. The argues platforms like Instagram allow for affective expressions grief, demonstrating networked sociality articulating opposition from ground up. publics are engendered include activists NGOs, whose worthiness, high number followers, coordinated committed provides traction allows collective grieving can be politically mobilized. As tactical trajectories, posts rupture spectacle harmonious multicultural Canada.