Roblox users who are unable to physically oppose Israel's occupation of Palestine have turned to the virtual streets of the game to voice their opinions and protest against the Gaza genocide.
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 user cikguzyd, a Malaysian gamer with almost 200,000 followers on TikTok, appears to have developed the experience. Large gatherings of gamers brandishing Palestinian flags are seen in videos uploaded to X and TikTok. Cikguzyd, who is chanting in Arabic, is leading the group in prayer and protest.
From the time it was developed on October 14, the experience has received over 27,000 visits. Gamers can opt to fly the Palestinian or Malaysian flags when they enter the virtual realm. A huge Palestinian flag, floating on a moat that encircles a community plaza, is displayed at the entrance.
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.
The players and the amounts they have donated are listed on a donation board, although it is not evident to whom the donations are intended. The largest donor in October gave 2,250 Robux, or around $28 USD. The majority of donations are in significantly lower amounts, such as 10 or 50 Robux.
Some have assumed that attendees were kids as Roblox is known for being a kid's game.
Avatars are how players seem on the platform, and personal information like location, gender, and age are not mentioned in their profiles. Younger family members who were prevented from participating in in-person action due to safety concerns, lack of access to a car, or incapacity to drive, were seen by users on X to attend the virtual demonstration.
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% of them were between the ages 17 to 24, the platform's fastest-growing demographic.
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