March 26, 2003

Engaging New Protest Tactic

Everyone concerned with trying to discover new and effective methods of protest is required to read this post on Portland Indymedia, from someone who stood outside The Oregonian for three hours, alone and holding a sign critical of the newspaper's perceived biases:

I counted about ten cars/ minute and about 3 pedestrians and bikes/ minute. That makes about 600 cars per hour and 180 peds and bikes. I was able to interact in some way—eye contact at least-- with the majority of them: about 2000 people. I got lots of beeps and thumbs up, a good number of fuck yous and middle fingers, and a majority of people trying hard to ignore my presence but wanting to read my sign, and people reacting like they were seeing (and maybe reading) something that they did not expect.

In several cases I was able to engage pedestrians in conversation. In a few cases I was able to talk to people who disagreed with the sentiment of my sign but were willing to exchange ideas. I had a great exchange with an Oregonian editor who expected me not to have anything intelligent to say and ended up being somewhat apologetic about his role in the ‘news’ production. I was watched by workers in the building who seemed to be surprised I was there alone and that I was there for three hours. Several of the workers spoke to me pleasantly as they came and left the building. A friend hung out with me for a bit, and some dude walked by and said, "Way to strike it out on your own!"

Imagine, if you will, hundreds of protestors fanning out into downtown Portland, each taking up a solitary position at some intersection, or some relevant building. No groups. No marches. Just single individuals each stationed alone at their own respective points.

No mass. No crowd. But nevertheless omnipresent. As people go about their daily routines in downtown Portland, they would not be able to turn a corner without running into yet another solitary dissenter, standing watch, bearing witness, and ready to talk.

Unthreatening. Non-confrontational. But everywhere at once.

It doesn't mean the usual protest actions have to stop. But we need to expand our horizons here. Protestors and observers alike are going to become tired of the rally/march dynamic if it's the only (or the only main) method. Worse yet, people could, in some fashion, become accustomed to them.

This distributed network of solitary protestors fanned out across the whole of downtown Portland would jar people's attention. And would make dissenters more approachable, opening up avenues for protest to become dialogue in ways that mass actions can't ever hope to achieve.

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