A Distributed Protest differs from traditional protests in that protesters maintain a 10 foot separation from each other. The protest organizers prepares a map of the targeted area and assigns unique GPS coordinate for each protester.
Jump the fold for a diary about Distributed Protests that I wrote back in 2017 before COVID-19. I admit I was a bit idealistic in this diary but it gets the idea across on the usefulness of distributed groups. What captured my imagination was the potential ability to connect all the distributed individuals into a mesh communication system coordinated by P2P smart phone communication. P2P stands for Peer-to-Peer communication between mobile computer phones that uses WiFi or Bluetooth without the need of central coordination.
For a real world example of P2P I refer the reader to this article, by Kate Knibbs on GIZMODO, Protesters Are Using FireChat's Mesh Networks To Organize in Hong Kong about how a proprietary mobile app called FireChat was involved in the protest.
Tuesday March 14, 2017 by linkage
This article is a re-mix of my personal thoughts from attending a SFKossacks call for Daily Kos members to attend a public protest: San Francisco March for Native American Rights — March 10, 2017 (Photos & Personal Reflections)
Protests and marches scare me to death. I have always been an outsider at “social dreaming” events. My whole life I have been a promoter of public events and responsible for the safety and success of the events and not an active participant. I can not go to such events with out worrying about everyone’s safety.
My biggest fear was “outsiders” deliberately disrupting the event with violence and property destruction in order to nullify the benefits of events such as this march. Clearly, due to the large police escort we had I felt protected by them rather than oppressed by them. I talked to a number of officers along the way and in each and every instance I felt they were highly trained and vigilant.
The cost to the City San Francisco in providing city services for this event must have been upwards of 50 to 100 thousand dollars. Not every city in America can afford to pay for the police escort and facilitation that this event afforded us. Again I’m so very grateful for large diverse cities like San Francisco that facilitates rather than hinders events like this.
One of the most sinister agendas of the Republicans is to pass numerous laws to restrict public assembly. My first protest “riot” experience was back in the 60s during the Peoples Park protests. And, I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Good: I volunteered Friday and Saturday nights at a wonderful underground coffee house called the Seventh Seal Coffee House in the back of the Lutheran Youth Center. It was on 2309 Bowditch Avenue a few blocks down from the park. It featured folk music and a place to go for chess, Go, Bridge games, and conversation. For the whole year prior I had parked my car that I had bought for $50 bucks next to the park. During the Peoples Park protests the Lutheran Youth Center operated a first aid station and a safe house for the “people” to find refuge in.
The Bad: It blows the mind to see one of the most liberal bastions in the world, Berkeley, occupied by armed troops. It was frighting to hear stories of the ill treatment those caught received at Santa Rita Jail. And all the stories of those whose bones were broken by night sticks. And that deadly force was used that caused the death of James Rector, a student.
The Ugly: I only once got caught up in a serge from the national guard that Governor Regan sent in. It is a life changing experience to be stampeded by a phalanx of troops in combat gear lobbing pepper gas and pushing you into a prepared net. The pepper spray was disorienting and the coordination of the occupying troops was exacting I only escaped by begging entrance into a rug shop on Channing Way. The shopkeeper only just opened her door to take a peek as I was fleeing arrest or worse.
Governor Reagan declared a state of emergency in Berkeley and sent in 2,700 National Guard troops. The Berkeley City Council symbolically voted 8–1 against the decision. For two weeks, the streets of Berkeley were patrolled by National Guardsmen, who broke up even small demonstrations with tear gas. Governor Reagan was steadfast and unapologetic: "Once the dogs of war have been unleashed, you must expect things will happen, and that people, being human, will make mistakes on both sides." From Wikipedia: People's Park (Berkeley)
Governor Reagan declared a state of emergency in Berkeley and sent in 2,700 National Guard troops. The Berkeley City Council symbolically voted 8–1 against the decision. For two weeks, the streets of Berkeley were patrolled by National Guardsmen, who broke up even small demonstrations with tear gas. Governor Reagan was steadfast and unapologetic: "Once the dogs of war have been unleashed, you must expect things will happen, and that people, being human, will make mistakes on both sides."
For months we lived with the park fenced off and being patrolled by troops. I would come into Berkeley on Friday and Saturday nights to work at the coffee house and I parked next to the park. Just seeing that space cordoned off like that was dispiriting and it effected me in ways I’m only years later discovering. In fact I can not attend any public event with out flashing on how things can get out of control quickly with a military force driven by an ideological agenda such as Reagan had. This leads to the question how can we safely have more public protests knowing full well that the current leaders of our federal government, The Republican Party, want to suppress public protests.
Dream with me for a moment and consider if we did distributed protests where the goal is to occupy a large space and make one quick dramatic statement rather than focus on gathering in a group for hours. The advantage of distributing the protest is that it will be hard for the police to effectively contain a group that is spaced out. Also, it may doge all of the new ALEC laws to suppress assembly.
What if the protesters assembled to preassigned positions such that the average distance between each protester is 5 feet. What if this protest was on the sidewalk rather than the street. What if using smart phones you found your place in the demonstration by using the GPS system. The whole point is to design an less expensive alternative way of protesting that minimizes exposure to violent disruption.
Perhaps a downloadable application could be developed for coordinating events that would work in the following way.
The protest event would be coordinated on a website that would provide authentication and access to the application. Once the application for the event is download one would know when and were to station one’s self for the up coming event.
When the time came for the event one arrives at one’s spot the application would shift off the internet and establish a local mesh network that would serve as the coordinator of the messaging for the event.
For example the coordinators could suggest via the system every one speak out loud a protest statement together. Or, all to uncover signs at the same time. Or any other of many numerous actions. Note I’m not suggesting anything violent or illegal but what I am suggesting is something highly visible.
This idea is similar to the idea of a “flash mob” but this becomes a “distributed flash protest.” With the idea to minimize the danger to each individual.
Please see these articles for a real world use of such a system: Protesters Are Using FireChat's Mesh Networks To Organize in Hong Kong and Hong Kong protesters use a mesh network to organise.
Can Daily Kos Lead The Resistance and develop and distribute this application? A trusted command and control system is needed to develop this idea.
In closing I’m fearful for our future and we need to anticipate the worse possible case of suppression of public assembly from the Republicans. Thus, this modest proposal. Very few Americans live in a liberal wealthy city such as San Francisco. How can those that live in Republican controlled cities protest safely. A clever app such as envisioned above might just be the solution for them.
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