The G8 Protests Online

...And as the concepts of civil disobedience and popular political demonstration remain rooted in the fundamental democratic notion of speaking truth to power, the practical mechanics of protest have more than kept pace with the technological advances. The use of cheap, ubiquitous hardware--walkie-talkies, pagers, cell phones and other PDA-type devices--has transformed the organizational abilities of every potential demonstrator. When incidents occur away from the gaze of traditional news coverage, camera phones and handheld digital camcorders have made it possible for activists to shoot, upload and e-mail videoclips of protesters being arrested in almost-real time. As interest groups attempt to circumvent what's seen as "corporate media" and a news agenda that is often characterized by conflict and violence, the thin line between "activist" and "citizen journalist" inevitably blurs still further. The Indymedia Web site (www.indymedia.org.uk), for example, features video links, first-person accounts and a running timeline of marches and gatherings, as well as providing maps--for example to Faslane, the Royal Navy base that is the home port for Britain's nuclear submarine fleet, which is 60 miles from Gleneagles and was blockaded by 500 protesters during the weekend. One of many anarchist sites, www.wombles.org.uk, acts as an online clearinghouse for activists and gives running updates on events, as well as transportation and road closure information and a discussion list. Meanwhile, the Dissent Network (www.dissent.org.uk) is, as it says, "committed to taking direct action against the G8 and what it represents. Nobody owns the network, and it has no leaders." Its home page says, "From July 6 to 8, violent extremists will be coming to Scotland.... They'll be trying to meet at the Gleneagles Hotel, and we'll be trying to stop them." The Web site http://g8legalsupport.info is run by a voluntary collective and provides legal advice to anyone involved in protests. "We won't judge you," the site says. "That's not our job. The police, courts and media will be doing enough of this to go around." All of these sites have extensive blogrolls and other links, giving some indication of the breadth of the activist networks. For the benefit of those on the ground--as well as armchair activists following from a safe distance--the Web, and specifically the blogs, in addition to their roles as vehicles for disseminating opinion and debate, offer groups a flexible mobilizing tool and a central forum for collating information in a specific cause. And also, dare it be said, for entertaining a broader audience. Full article: http://www.forbes.com/columnists/2005/07/05/mcgookin-Gleneagles-g8-cx_sm_0704mcgookin.html [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on July 7, 2005]

Note: www.indymedia.org.uk www.wombles.org.uk www.dissent.org.uk http://g8legalsupport.info http://www.forbes.com/c...