Sandblast

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming blockbuster The Odyssey (releasing 17 July 2026) is already one of the most anticipated films in years. The trailer already boasts striking shots, across Greece, Italy, Ireland, and Scotland. But what is not included in the promo is the illegal occupation of Western Sahara - where part of the billion dollar budget movie was filmed.

Part of the production was filmed in Dakhla, a city under illegal Moroccan occupation, which is presented as a picturesque backdrop. The fact that it is a militarised city under siege has obviously not been addressed by Nolan or his team, despite our communities many attempts to educate them and extract some kind of explanation.

We have received no response.

Join us in boycotting The Odyssey until justice is served. Universal Pictures must know that Hollywood’s complicity in illegal occupation will no longer go ignored. We have received no response.

Join Sandblast’s petition today to protest Ryanair profiting from unethical tourism by providing direct flights to Dakhla, Western Sahara.

Ryanair is knowingly falsely advertising Dakhla as part of Morocco - normalising Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara and dismissing the grave human rights violations Saharawi people are subject to regularly at the hands of their occupiers.

We must object to this insanity. Dakhla has never been Moroccan. Hold Ryanair accountable for their actions and support the Saharawi people’s recognised right to self-determination.

Sign the petition today at: change.org/p/hold-ryanair-accountable-for-misleading-advertising
Link available in our bio.

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56 years ago today, the Saharawis staged the first organised peaceful protest against their Spanish colonisers in the name of independence and liberation.

That protest was violently crushed by the colonising authorities, forever transforming the national consciousness of the Saharawi people and informing the expression of resistance we see today.

The uprising directly led to the formation of the Polisario - which was born out of the lessons learned from the Zemla Intifada.

56 years later, it seems that little has changed. The Saharawis are still calling for the same basic rights of independence and self determination that they were decades ago.

However, rather than being defeated. This is a reminder that the Saharawi people have ALWAYS resisted. And will always continue to resists as long as they are oppressed and occupied.

Long live the Saharawi resistance!

Like and share this post to teach someone something new about Saharawi history today 🇪🇭

‘The Whole Homeland or Martyrdom’

Sandblast is sharing more of our favourite excerpts from the archives!

Many of these clippings document Morocco’s violent invasion of Western Sahara in 1975, the suffering endured by the Saharawi people, and the international calls for solidarity with the Saharawi liberation movement.

“The Congress launches an appeal to all countries and peace-loving forces to give further support to the struggle of our people in order to help realise their aspirations for freedom, dignity and national sovereignty, and to persuade Morocco to comply with international law by accepting a peaceful solution.”

This material offers a rare glimpse into Saharawi life in exile during the earliest years of displacement. Explore and share to better understand the realities of the refugee camps and the resilience of a people at the beginning of their struggle for self-determination!

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Between Western Sahara and Palestine, the parallels are structural, visible, and ongoing.

Walls divide land and people:
Morocco’s sand berm cuts through Western Sahara, while Israel’s separation wall carves through Palestinian territory.

Occupation is sustained by power:
both are backed by U.S support, normalised through deals like the Abraham Accords, and shielded from accountability on the global stage.

Surveillance and control shape daily life:
from checkpoints to monitoring systems that restrict movement and autonomy.

Military force enforces the status quo:
advanced weaponry and security infrastructures are deployed against civilian populations asserting their rights.

The Palestinian people and the Saharawis both reflect a shared reality of repression, dispossession, and resistance that continues today.

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