British journalist and novelist Trish Lorenz has come under fire for her new book, ‘Soro Soke: The Young Disruptors of an African Megacity.’
During the #EndSARS protest in October 2020, Nigerians used the Yoruba slogan ‘Soro Soke,’ which means ‘speak louder in English.’
The demonstration, which lasted around two weeks, was intended to put an end to police violence and abuses by operatives of the country’s now-defunct special anti-robbery squad (SARS).
Read Also: #EndSARS: Human Rights Commission Awards N147m Compensation To 27 Victims Of Police Brutality
In the book, Lorenz examines the bravery of the movement’s leaders, as well as the perspectives of those Nigerians who took part in the protest.
The Berlin-based journalist used Twitter to express her joy about the project, which was released on May 26.
She also said the book won her the 2021/2022 Nine Dots Prize — which honours creative thinking that tackles contemporary societal issues.
I am so excited that my first book, Soro Soke, is published today. To see it advertised in the CUP bookstore windows is mind blowing. I can’t stop smiling https://t.co/umCdew27nh
— Trish Lorenz (@mstrishlorenz) May 26, 2022
But in an interview on the book, the author had claimed she was the one who named the protesters “Soro Soke generation”.
Lorenz said;
This cohort exhibits a confident outspokenness and a tendency for creative disruption, leading me to name them the Soro Soke generation (Soro Soke means ‘speak out’ in the Yoruba language).
Her claim has, however, provoked a chorus of backlash from many Nigerians on Twitter.
Several users accused her of trying to take credit for the term despite the fact that she did not initiate it.
The origins of Soro Soke may be traced back to October 2020, when an enraged youth screamed “Soro Soke werey“ at Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was speaking to demonstrators in an inaudible voice.
Sanwo-Olu, while addressing protestors in an attempt to defuse tensions during the early days of the protests, spoke in a low voice, prompting an enraged youth to cry “Soro soke werey,“ which means “speak up, mad man.“
Other demonstrators, who were jeering at the governor, mirrored the governor’s statements.
Since the #EndSARS campaign, Nigerian youths have used the figurative term to exhort government authorities to quit remaining neutral on national issues and speak up for the people.
