Players in 'Roblox' are joining digital pro-Palestine rallies
Roblox players unable to protest Israel's occupation of Palestine in person have taken to the game's digital streets to make their voices heard.
A user-created experience on the platform called "(PALESTINE) Dataran tanjung mas" (which is written in Malay) has provided an online space for young players to participate in activism. The description reads, "This map is made for Palestine solidarity."
The experience appears to have been created by user cikguzyd, a Malaysian gamer who has around 200,000 followers on TikTok. Videos posted to X and TikTok show large groups of players holding Palestinian flags gathering in the game, led in prayer and protest by cikguzyd, who is chanting in Arabic.
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The experience has had more than 27,000 visits since it was created on Oct. 14. When players enter the digital space, they can choose to carry the flag of either Malaysia or Palestine. A large Palestinian flag sits at the entrance, floating on a moat that surrounds a community square. Large letters in the water spell out "We love Palestine." Large banners in the square say "Solidarity untukmu Palestine" or "Solidarity for you Palestine" with the date Oct. 21, 2023.
A donation board lists the players and the amounts they've donated, though it is unclear who the beneficiary of the donations is. The top donor for October contributed 2,250 Robux or roughly $28 USD. Most donations are much smaller denominations of 10 and 50 Robux.
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Some have speculated, because of Roblox's reputation as a kid's game, that attendees were children. Players appear on the platform as avatars and their profiles do not list personal details like age, gender, or location. Users on X have noted that younger family members attended the digital protest because safety concerns, lack of access to a car, or inability to drive kept them from in-person activism.
But Roblox's core user base is aging up, which means many participants were also likely in their teens or early twenties. In 2022, an average of 67 million people logged on to Roblox every day and 22 percent of them were between the ages 17 to 24, the platform's fastest-growing demographic.
UPDATE: Oct. 25, 2023, 12:01 p.m. EDT A Roblox spokesperson made the following comment to Mashable: "We are deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy unfolding in Israel and Gaza, and our hearts go out to those who are impacted in the area or who have loved ones, family and friends in the region. While our Community Standards allow for expressions of solidarity, we do not allow for content that endorses or condones violence, promotes terrorism or hatred against individuals or groups, or calls for supporting a specific political party. We have an expert team of thousands of moderators along with automated detection tools in place to monitor our platform and will take swift action against any content or individuals found to be in violation of our standards. We also encourage anyone to report content or behavior that may not comply with our Community Standards by using our Report Abuse feature."
Elizabeth is a digital culture reporter covering the internet's influence on self-expression, fashion, and fandom. Her work explores how technology shapes our identities, communities, and emotions. Before joining Mashable, Elizabeth spent six years in tech. Her reporting can be found in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, TIME, and Teen Vogue. Follow her on Instagram here.
