1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Brading. Hello, Welcome back to the 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: show today. We are recording this on June. My name 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: is Matt, my name is Nol. They call me Ben. 7 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: We are joined as always with our super producer, Paul 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: Mission controlled decades. Most importantly, you are you. You are here, 9 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: and that makes this stuff they don't want you to know. 10 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: As we record today, cities and towns across the United 11 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: States and the world are the staging ground for numerous 12 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: peaceful protests against ongoing police brutality and longstanding discrimination again 13 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: the Black community of the United States. Escalation has resulted 14 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: in violence as authorities resort to what are sometimes misleadingly 15 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: called less than lethal tactics to force these groups to disperse. 16 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: We are three mostly white dudes, and we stand in 17 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: solidarity with our fellow black citizens. Black lives matter. Anything 18 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: said to distract, from, discredit, or dilute that statement goes 19 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,199 Speaker 1: squarely against the stated principles of this government in its 20 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: founding documents, and crucially it goes against what it means 21 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: to be a human being. We don't have all the answers, 22 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: it would be false to pretend that we do. The 23 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: good news is that there are many organizations and activists 24 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: out there now easy to find, with the resources to 25 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: help address injustice and what we can do on this show, 26 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: as has always been, our aim is to arm you 27 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: with information many and looting those in power do not 28 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: want you to know. With this in mind, we want 29 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: to give you and our fellow listeners crucial information about protest, 30 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: what they are, how they work, and most importantly, the 31 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: tactics used by opponents, legal and illegal to sabotage them. 32 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: So here are the facts. Well, to start off with, UM, 33 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 1: the act of protest is in fact your right as 34 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: a citizen of the United States, regardless of how you 35 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: might personally feel about these protests or protests in general. 36 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: It is something that from the very onset the establishment 37 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: of this country, in the U. S. Constitution UM, has 38 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: been a primary guiding principle for the United States as 39 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: a nation. UM. The right to protest is literally in 40 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: the first Amendment of the Constitution, UM, stating the obvious 41 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: here for many, but imagine that lawmakers of the time. Um, 42 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: the all two imperfect founding fathers, as we refer to them. 43 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: You know, we're sitting in that back room debating on 44 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: how to create a living document. Um. And when they 45 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: wrote the first part of the Constitution, Uh, they likely 46 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: were spitballing back and forth ways to make sure that 47 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: this could be adaptable to you know, changing circumstances. Um. 48 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: And when they wrote that very first amendment, they wrote 49 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: these words, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment 50 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging 51 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: the freedom of speech or of the press, or the 52 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition 53 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: the Government for a redress of grievances. There's definitely some 54 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: dated language in their right. Uh. And and it can 55 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: be a little bit to unpack, but it's fairly direct. 56 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: Right is fairly direct, especially for legal document. In essence, 57 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: the government here can legally interfere with your religion one. 58 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: I mean, that's part of why the US is a 59 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: great place to start a religion. That's a story for 60 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: another day. It also says that Uncle Sam has to 61 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: let you and the media say what you want, what 62 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: they want with a massive amount of fine print there 63 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: that we've covered in some other episodes. And there there's 64 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: that most important part that you hit Matt for today's show. 65 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: All people have the right to assemble peaceably or peacefully 66 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 1: as we would say. Now, that means this, think about this. 67 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: That means that literally, if everyone in this country decided 68 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: to drop what we're doing right now, walk outside to 69 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: the nearest parks, and we decided to seeing the entire 70 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: catalog of nickelback, then the constitution is down with that 71 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: ridiculous decision. And that also means that if you wish, 72 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: instead of joining some nationwide Nickelback tribute, you can publicly 73 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: press the government for change. Yeah. I mean you know, 74 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: certainly your fellow park attendees might look at you askance 75 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: if they're not as into nickelback as you are. Um, 76 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: And there might even be some cops there that would 77 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: look at you funny, but they certainly wouldn't stop you 78 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: from doing it. Uh. I love the idea of redress 79 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: of grievances. That's sort of part of that dated language 80 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: you were mentioning, Ben, but it's really simple. It's the 81 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: idea of expressing, uh change that you want to see 82 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: um in the status quo and addressing it peacefully in 83 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: a public setting, and the notion that you should not 84 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: be um interfered with, as long as that peacefully is 85 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: the key word there. Yeah, I mean on paper, top 86 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: notch right home, run on paper. This is a series 87 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,479 Speaker 1: of rights that many, many, many people in many other 88 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: countries have historically not possessed. And it's a series of 89 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: rights that many countries do not grant in the modern day. 90 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: And that's because when everyone in charge of enforcing these 91 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: laws is in fact obeying the laws that they are 92 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: supposed to obey, this series of rights is a profoundly 93 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: powerful thing. But you know, the old adage holds true, right, 94 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: there's many a slip TwixT the cup and the lip, 95 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: and the US, again, like many places, has a terrible 96 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: abominable track record at obeying its own laws. And when 97 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: a protest is for one reason or another, something that 98 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: is not wanted by those in power. There are emergency 99 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: powers that can be deployed to do all kinds of things, 100 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: including right now that we're seeing to enforce curfews, which 101 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: you know, in in cities across the United States, there 102 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: are curfews that are are happening tonight, which is in 103 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: fact an hour earlier than it had been previously tonight. Again, 104 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: as we record this in Atlanta, can I can I 105 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: say really really quickly? Um? These curfews are tricky in 106 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: and of themselves because it's hard to know for folks 107 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: that are like at work. For example, like a friend 108 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: of mine, UM, was working at a restaurant they're back 109 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: at working in restaurants waiting tables, and her boss knew 110 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: about the curfew, but did not share that information with 111 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: his employees. Uh. And they are not allowed to have 112 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: their phones on them while they're working. So for something 113 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: like a curfew to be so heavily enforced, heavy handedly enforced, 114 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: is really tricky when the information isn't reaching the people 115 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: who need it. Um. And I've been moving for example, Uh, 116 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: while all of this has been going on in Atlanta, 117 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: and a couple of times I didn't get the notification 118 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: on my phone, and luckily Ben you texted me and 119 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: made sure I was safe and told me what the 120 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: curfew was, and I was about fifteen minutes away from 121 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: missing it. And I've been seeing, you know, a lot 122 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: of stuff in the news about people very much getting 123 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: into some difficult situation for missing this curfew, whatever their 124 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: race might be. And curfews are only one of the 125 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: tools within the belt of the people's in power and 126 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: that they could be used to quell protesting. And one 127 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: of the major components to this is that the people 128 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: who are in power, who are meant to actually enforce 129 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: the laws to keep law and order, they may have 130 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: their own agendas. Specifically, they may have an agenda that 131 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: is in complete opposition to the cause of the protesters 132 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: right right. Remember, back in the um in the days 133 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: of the nineties sixties protests, quite a few members of 134 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: law enforcement were themselves also members of militaristic supremacist organizations, 135 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: not the right people for the job. In other words, Also, 136 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: there's trickery in the enforcement of these kind of powers 137 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: or the deployment way, the way they're rolled out. The 138 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: first atlant To curfew, which was at nine pm, was 139 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: announced via text at about nine thirteen PM, and protesters 140 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: were also blocked from egress, so they were going to 141 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: be subject to violating a curfew that they were physically 142 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: unable to comply with. This these exact problems are why 143 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: protests matter. These situations themselves prove why protests should remain 144 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: a fundamental right in this country and why they are 145 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: so important. They are a direct method of expression that 146 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: can be used when other channels of expression have become 147 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: compromised or when they have failed, when they have collapsed entirely. 148 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: Look back at history, protests in this country led to 149 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: voting rights for women. Protests have led to policy change, 150 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: to the enactment or at least the writing of better laws, 151 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: and to the repeal of her rific ones. Protests lead 152 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: to more rights for more people, at least they have 153 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: the ability to do so. And if you look at 154 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,959 Speaker 1: the history of protests in this country, you will see 155 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: that they have often been successful. I know. That's something 156 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: that you know, the mainstream media doesn't really talk about 157 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 1: when they talk about modern protests. It's safe to pat 158 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: yourself on the back when you look at history from 159 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: a distance. Well, and we'll we'll get into this as well. 160 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: But in the media right now, who are clearly grappling, 161 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: you know, on how to cover these protests in a 162 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: measured way. You know, typically journalism is an opinion based 163 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: so it needs to lean on facts. But the idea 164 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: of what is a protest, what is a revolt, What 165 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 1: is a revolution? What is an uprising? These things are 166 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: very much front and center in this conversation around what's 167 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: going on right now? Um, and very quickly a protest 168 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 1: can become something more are resembling an uprising um and 169 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: that does typically involve violence and destruction and behavior that 170 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: can be demonized by those in power and used to 171 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: discredit a movement. The cold heart fact is that protests, 172 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: not always, but generally are against something that is happening 173 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: within the current power structure, the current system, right, the 174 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: status quo that exists. And oftentimes when there are protests, 175 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: powerful people at the tops of you know, whatever food 176 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: chain you're you're thinking of, they won't want to have 177 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: that change whatever it is that the protester is seeking, 178 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: because it would mean they then they would have to 179 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: change the system itself, would have to change the things 180 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: that give them, you know, power and oftentimes money would 181 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: have to change. I mean, why why would someone who 182 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: was a part of that system, you know necessary really 183 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: want to have that done? Right? I mean this it's 184 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:05,679 Speaker 1: kind of a tricky thing to to even talk about, 185 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: but giving away power and money and whatever that thing is, 186 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: those two would be the probably the highest things. That's 187 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 1: not something that happens very often. Willingly, no, and really quickly, 188 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: just to clarify my previous comment when I was talking 189 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: about the idea of an uprising versus a protest. Obviously, 190 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: so much of what we're seeing right now is absolutely 191 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: peaceful protest. But then you are hearing like I heard 192 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: a woman, a black woman on the radio the other day, uh, 193 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: talking about how she wants to just burn it all 194 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: down because nothing else has worked. Um. And the only 195 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: way to truly enact change is to mess with the 196 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: power holders money and to actually do things that will 197 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: that they will notice, because it's easy to just brush 198 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: off the idea of a peaceful protest if you're one 199 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: of those holders of the power that actually can can 200 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: affect change and you don't want to relinquish that, it's 201 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: when their money and their property and their infrastructure is threatened. UM. 202 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 1: And this is you know, I'm not trying to get 203 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: off the subject here because we are talking about something 204 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: a little different, but that is something that there is, 205 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: you know, and this notion that peaceful protests don't always work, 206 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: and some of the protests you're talking about them that 207 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: led to those changes did ultimately turn into something more 208 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: resembling a revolter and uprising. And while the times and 209 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: the circumstances may change, the people in power for a 210 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: very very long time have commonalities in the tactics that 211 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,079 Speaker 1: they use to exploit and to exploit a movement, to 212 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 1: deepower protests and and to attempt to essentially hinder the 213 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: progress of the movements. Associate with those protests. Two put 214 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: them into maybe three broad categories. One, you want to 215 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: discredit a movement if if you're the person in power 216 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: who feels like, as you said, Matt, your uh, your 217 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,199 Speaker 1: status as being one of the halves is threatened. This 218 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: takes a number of roots. For example, why not associate 219 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 1: a movement with something negative, focus media coverage on say, 220 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: rioters and looters or property damage rather than the message 221 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: of that movement. Also launch counter protest, whether astro turfed 222 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: or whether whipped up by um, discrediting movements online. All 223 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: all protests now also take place online. That's important to 224 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: remember and aim those counter protesters, whether they are paid 225 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 1: which definitely think or however they get their aim them 226 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: at the existing protest. All of that happens, and honestly, 227 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: it is highly unethical, but there are very few laws 228 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: constraining the use of those tactics. And that's that's like, 229 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: that does not even count what I what I would say, 230 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: or the other two officially known and condone tactics like 231 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: smear tactics. Yeah, this is a this is a a 232 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: big one that oftentimes isn't even known until years after 233 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: because this one involves well, really blackmail, specifically finding dirt 234 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: on you know, leaders within a movement. That is something 235 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: that really does happen, or you know, using connections within 236 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: the media, or you know, just again with now with 237 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: the access of social media, you can do it, you know, 238 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: with a single person and start a rumor to publicly 239 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: smear or gaslight or you know, like we said, blackmail 240 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: some leader of a movement, and we saw this with coentelpro, 241 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: where the government itself was attempting to blackmail Dr Martin 242 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: Luther King. And it doesn't even take like dirt or 243 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: mail necessarily. It can be just done with rhetoric by 244 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: reframing a leader of a movement as of radical or 245 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: as a terrorist or whatever. Like you know, people in 246 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: power with a very big megaphone and a very tall 247 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: bully pulpit can just use their words to reframe someone 248 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: that has good intentions um and has a very just 249 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: aim and discredit them just using words. And that word 250 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: gas lighting that you mentioned, I mean, that's what that 251 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: is is when you're making people who follow them think 252 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: maybe they're wrong, maybe that this person actually is a 253 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: bad person, and it makes you question your own motivations. 254 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: And that's a very powerful thing that people in power 255 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: are able to do just by speaking well, now, you're 256 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: absolutely right, and controlling how a protest is viewed by 257 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: the viewership or listenership within especially television. Right now, we've 258 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: seen it where you know, we see words like protest 259 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: and then also the same group of people doing something 260 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 1: described as you know, writers, the same group of people 261 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: described as looters, um. And oftentimes it's not the same 262 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: people that are being talked about. But you know, if 263 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: you look on your screen, it looks the same. You know. Um, 264 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: I guess just what I'm saying is that you can 265 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 1: depict the way an end user of media views a 266 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: group of people specifically in protest by the language you 267 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: use around those uh, those images. One of the tremendous 268 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: misconceptions in the modern world today is that there is 269 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: democratization of media that is not in fact the case. 270 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 1: What is collectively referred to as the media right now 271 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: has a lot in common with a taco bell menu. 272 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: I think I've made this comparison before. If you look at, 273 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: you know, the menu of a drive through a taco Bell. 274 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: I'm just picking on them because they're an excellent example. 275 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,479 Speaker 1: Then you will see what twenty thirty different things on 276 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: the menu. They all have the same five to ten 277 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: ingredients there. These things are fingers on a hand and 278 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 1: they are meant to appear separate, and that is very 279 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 1: much by design. There are the groups who control what 280 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: you see and what you hear. They are They are 281 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: far fewer of them than you know. People would assume 282 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 1: that that's something that makes it so easy to do 283 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: the next category, which is to co opt the movement. 284 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,919 Speaker 1: It's the next step in controlling the narrative. This is 285 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,239 Speaker 1: something that you you may be hearing reports of in 286 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: Portland's recently. Why the logic is this? And it gets 287 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: slippery and illegal very quickly. Why bother attacking a leader 288 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: when you can have an agreement with one? A back 289 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:50,879 Speaker 1: door quid quo quo scratching backs kind of deal, you know. Furthermore, 290 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 1: why make a deal when you can simply create a 291 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: leader to make the public moves within the protest while 292 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 1: also furthering your agenda. Very careful when you know there's 293 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: someone who, uh, who seems new to a community and 294 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: activist community, and they have a lot of grand, very 295 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 1: extreme ideas and also have a tendency to to tell you, uh, 296 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: if you're a veteran activist, what this is really about. 297 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: The narrative shift is real. I don't want to be alarmist, 298 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: but it happens. You can also again, because all of 299 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 1: this stuff is occurring online too, you can see the 300 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:34,360 Speaker 1: creation of fake accounts meant to push the conversation, just 301 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: like in the election and other movements, you know, to 302 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 1: try and lead a protest in a direction that people 303 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:46,159 Speaker 1: in power wanted to go. Russia has objectively had some 304 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,719 Speaker 1: great programs with this, uh, and they're very old, like 305 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: Operation Infection it was called in the US UM decades 306 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: and decades and decades ago. It is naive to think 307 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: that's not happening now. But there's also massive elephant in 308 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 1: in the room right now. Uh, and it's one that's 309 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: often ignored by the mainstream media that we're talking about 310 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: those fingers on the same hand, those taco bell ingredients. 311 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: But common knowledge to folks who are veterans in the 312 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: protest game, and that's that whenever there's a peaceful gathering 313 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: of protesters, uh, that somehow becomes violent, no matter what 314 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,440 Speaker 1: the scale of the violence is. Again, it's all about 315 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 1: those optics and the interpretation of Okay, this is now 316 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: giving us the cause to push the button to quell 317 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: said violence. These peacekeeping forces now have a reason to 318 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 1: pull the trigger on this idea of Okay, this is 319 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: now no longer a peaceable assembly um redressing grievances. Now 320 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 1: we are moving into go mode to quell that violence, 321 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: a k A shut down that protest. So the big 322 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 1: question today is how and why do peaceful protests and 323 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: cities across the entire planet, uh, but particularly in the 324 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: US so often result in these kinds of incidents that 325 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 1: involve destruction of property or violence. What what is there 326 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: to gain from this? Why is this happening? And we'll 327 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: talk about that right after a quick word from our sponsor. 328 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: Here's where it gets crazy. The first important point, Uh, 329 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: it is it is not it is not our aim 330 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 1: to tell anyone how to protest UH, and it would 331 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: be offensive to do so. This, however, is again a 332 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: mission to armu you with information, to arm you with 333 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: things that people in power do not want you to know. 334 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,959 Speaker 1: And one of the things that people in power do 335 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: not want you to know about protests is that there 336 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: are numerous bad actors. There is enormous opportunity for people 337 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: on the ground to exploit, UH, to exploit the actual cause, 338 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 1: the actual motivating force of a protest or a movement, 339 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: for their own insidious Then the farriest ends this is 340 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: not a conspiracy theory. This is a conspiracy. Everything that 341 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: you are going to hear in this episode this point 342 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: on definitely is true and it should alarm you. We're 343 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: talking about infiltration. Long time listeners, you already know the 344 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: elephant in the room here is what it's called the 345 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 1: agent provocateur. But let's let's get some background first. Yes, 346 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: and just quick background on that search term. If you 347 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: put in agent provocateur without some other terms, you're going 348 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: to get alongso a company, So just be aware of that. 349 00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: UM not not very helpful when research something like this. 350 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: For some of this, I kind of want to start 351 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: it with an article from The New York Times that 352 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: was written by Jim Dwyer in two thousand five, just 353 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: because it it gives some much needed background here and there. 354 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: This is a fairly long quote here, but we're gonna 355 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: go with it, and then we'll we'll build off of it. 356 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: Here's the quote. The federal courts have long held that 357 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: undercover officers can monitor political activities for a quote, legitimate 358 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 1: law enforcement purpose. While the police routinely conduct undercover operations 359 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: and plainly criminal circumstances the illegal sale of weapons, for example, 360 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: surveillance at political events is laden with ambiguity to retain cover. 361 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:45,120 Speaker 1: In those settings, officers might take part in public dialogue, debate, 362 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: and demonstration at the risk of influencing others to alter 363 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: opinions or behavior. The authority of the police to conduct 364 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: surveillance of First Amendment activities has been shaped over the years, 365 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: not only by the law, but also by the politics 366 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: of the movement and the perception and of public safety needs. 367 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 1: In the nineteen seventy one class action lawsuit, New York 368 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: City acknowledged that the police department had used infiltraders, undercover agents, 369 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: and fake news reporters to spy on quote yippies, civil 370 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: rights advocates, anti war activists, labor organizers, and black power groups. 371 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: But all that was under like the auspices of like, 372 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: we just want to keep an eye on it in 373 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 1: case so that we can maintain law and order. It's 374 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: not necessarily to shut down protests, you know, on paper, 375 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: it is not necessarily to discredit any of these organizations 376 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,679 Speaker 1: on paper. The idea was, we need to be able to, 377 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:39,880 Speaker 1: you know, have our finger on the pulse of what's 378 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,639 Speaker 1: going on with these types of organizations. Right perhaps, but 379 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: the important thing here is that law enforcement has infiltrated 380 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 1: these groups, perhaps prior to a protest taking place. Just 381 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: like several years ago, Uh, the FBI was caught out 382 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:05,120 Speaker 1: because they had sent people to infiltrate uh Muslim communities 383 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: here in the United States, and these infiltrators were attempting 384 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: to radicalize people, it's called right, attempting to say, uh, 385 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:19,360 Speaker 1: let's let's start building some bombs, let's start committing um, 386 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: you know, these felonious acts. And this disturbed the members 387 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: of these communities so much that they reported the FBI's 388 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: own agents to the FBI and said, please arrest these people. 389 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: It's like entrapment, right, yes, yeah, it's very it's very close. 390 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: There will be lawyers who disagree, but um, I would 391 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: say it's unethical to pretend that it's not. And this 392 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: this is like an agent provocateur. Think of it like 393 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 1: genre and sub genre. An agent provocateur is a genre 394 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: like category of this phenomenon. Not every protester is who 395 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 1: they purport to be, as noted in this earlier video 396 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 1: we have which is a little dated but still holds 397 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 1: up in terms of tactics, and you can find it 398 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: by the way. You have to search for Dirty Tricks 399 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: Agent Provocateur and it's on the Old House Stuff Works 400 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 1: YouTube channel. Just so everybody knows. Yeah, yeah, these these 401 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: protesters are These people purporting to be protesters have a 402 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: different underlying agenda, an ulterior motive, and this is known 403 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: as the agent provocateur. A couple examples, uh, someone who 404 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: is not associated with the movement but is present to incite, 405 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: you know, these acts of violence, to to push people there. 406 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 1: And again, this is not the same thing as saying 407 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: the only good protests is a peaceful one. We're just 408 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: presenting the facts. This is the aim of the agent provocateur. 409 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 1: They're the people who for some reason want citizens and 410 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: law enforcement to clash. And these these agent provocateur have 411 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: their own subcategories as well. They are not all the same. 412 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 1: Some are ideologically motivated, they're unpaid. Uh. They might be 413 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,159 Speaker 1: someone like um an anarchist, which I think is of 414 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,439 Speaker 1: course an umbrella term. I don't want to paint abroad 415 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 1: brush here. But there might be members of some anarchist 416 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: groups or factions of some anarchist groups who say, I 417 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: don't care what this protest is about, but I do 418 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 1: care uh to dismantle a system right or to or 419 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,360 Speaker 1: to create chaos, to become an agent of chaos. You'll 420 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: also see people who are ideologically camouflaging themselves, like the 421 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: alt right proud boy groups uh, you know confirmed in 422 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: the Pacific Northwest, who participated in the recent protest with 423 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 1: the express cause of inciting violence. And there's also an 424 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: immediate example we could point to that just happened, uh 425 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 1: got a few days ago where an unknown person holding 426 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: an umbrella and wearing a gas mask came up and 427 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: just began smashing windows when there was a peaceful assembly occurring, 428 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 1: and it just seemed like it was for no reason. 429 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,479 Speaker 1: And you know, there were all kinds of rumors on 430 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 1: social media and a couple of videos made of this 431 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: person where he was purported, uh, you know, allegedly to 432 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: be a police officer, then allegedly to be an anarchist. 433 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: And it's just at this point, unless you guys have 434 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: other knowledge, this person is unknown. But they certainly they 435 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: made it to where a report could go out to 436 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: the police then that vandalism had occurred in this one 437 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 1: specific area, which could potentially then send a police force 438 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 1: to that immediate area. And this, this tactic is older 439 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: than police forces. It is much much older than you 440 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: may think. It was something that the human species figured 441 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: out in ancient times. This happened, you know, this is 442 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: older than the US. The term, the reason the term 443 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: is French is it becomes it comes from modern undercover 444 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:17,120 Speaker 1: operations that were instituted in France in the early eighteen hundreds. 445 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 1: But the reason people keep using agent provocateur tactics is 446 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: because they work. I mean, you mentioned co Intel Pro earlier, Matt, 447 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: just to be specific about that. During co Intel Pro, 448 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: which is arguably never ended, maybe just changed names. The 449 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: way that Blackwater became Academy became x C or whatever. 450 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 1: During co intel pros activities, FBI agents infiltrated groups and 451 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: they infiltrated protest. They were supposed to be monitoring these things, 452 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: but they also disrupted and sabotaged them. These groups include 453 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,959 Speaker 1: things like the Ku Klux Klan, the KKK, but they 454 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: also include things like the Mayor Arican Indian Movement. They 455 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: include things like UH student groups that were considered UH 456 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: dangerously left wing by the people in power. And we 457 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: know this continues into the modern day easily. Yeah. I 458 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: mean the a c LU called for an investigation of 459 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: possible Denver uh PD agents attempting to inside violence against 460 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 1: police during the two thousand eight Democratic National Convention UM, 461 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 1: and someone who's a member of law enforcement or a 462 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: faction of the government UH could absolutely be considered an 463 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: agent provocateur. Undercover officers are often known to use tactics 464 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 1: UM to kind of escalate these protests, especially in the 465 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: United States. Officially, they're there to maintain the peace UH 466 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 1: and protect everyone involved, but that absolutely changes when someone 467 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: associated with the law UH purposefully tries to spark violence 468 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: by damaging property or urging peaceful protesters. To that point, 469 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: you made earlier ben about with the Muslim community um 470 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: trying to kind of in trap or in sight. I 471 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: guess in trap maybe as is too loaded a term. 472 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: Peaceful protesters to attack police or damage property. And we 473 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: saw an example of this in two thousand seven that's 474 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: included in our video where in Canada there were there 475 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 1: was a pretty large peaceful protests occurring and three men 476 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 1: who were wearing all black and covering their faces, and 477 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: at least one of them was carrying a rock, and they, 478 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: you know, appeared to be acting very aggressive towards police, 479 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 1: and they were called out by the peaceful protesters. And 480 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: you can watch videos on this right now, you can 481 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: check it out, and you can just see how those 482 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: men then crossed the police line and were it looked 483 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 1: like they were being arrested perhaps, but they were, you know, 484 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 1: just taken away to somewhere else, probably went back to 485 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: their post. Who knows theatrically arrested, I would say for sure. 486 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: And even right now, I mean, there's obviously so much 487 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 1: information and everyone's got a camera, you know, on their phone, 488 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 1: so there's there's there's a flood of videos and information 489 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 1: that's out there surrounding the protests that they're going on 490 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 1: right now. But I saw a video where it was 491 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: someone calling out the police for damaging their own car. Um. 492 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: It's it's a video where you can literally see a 493 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:31,040 Speaker 1: police SUV type vehicle and gentlemen in police uniforms standing 494 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 1: on top of it and smashing the window themselves and 495 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: uh and damaging the car. Um. You know, it was 496 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 1: in the distance, perhaps, Uh, it's it's easy to misconstrue 497 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: what's what's actually going on, But that certainly was the 498 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,800 Speaker 1: impression that the person making the video had. They called 499 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: them out and said, I see what you're doing. I 500 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: see what you're doing. One common question would be how 501 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: do piles of bricks conveniently end up on sidewalks approaching 502 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: you know, approaching a protests And you'll see people claiming 503 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: that it is in fact law enforcement that's doing that. 504 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 1: But there's another question here too that we need to outline. 505 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: Should be it may be painfully obvious, but we need 506 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: to outline it. What is the goal here for an 507 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: agent provocateur? Who are these people who are camouflaging themselves 508 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: physically and ideologically, uh, in order to perpetrate this counterintelligence, 509 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: these acts of de seek. Well, there can be more 510 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: than one aim. First, the first aim is, as as 511 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 1: you guys mentioned earlier, to somehow make incredibly violent crackdowns 512 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: by law enforcement seem not just justified but inevitable, to 513 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 1: make them seem to be the right sort of thing 514 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,960 Speaker 1: to do. The police in this country are and have 515 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: been heavily militarized, uh, in a process that, by the way, 516 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: occurred in step with mass of defunding of education. Just 517 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: gonna point that out, uh. And the second goal would 518 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:08,919 Speaker 1: be too discredit a movement because again, like we've said, 519 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: we can't see it enough watched, watch your local news. 520 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: And if if one thing happens that would be violent, 521 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 1: If one thing happens that fits the definition of you know, 522 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:23,799 Speaker 1: that which bleeds is that which leads, then that is 523 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: what the media will tend to talk about. And they will, uh, 524 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 1: they will tend to it. Sounds like I'm paying with 525 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 1: a broad brush, but there is a common prevalence here 526 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,839 Speaker 1: of focusing on that sort of stuff. And then when 527 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 1: that happens, that is all the news cycle talks about. 528 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: There's no more talk of what what the aims of 529 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: the protest were, what kind of what kind of change 530 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: with the protesters like to see what kind of world 531 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 1: do we want to live in? It's just a target 532 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: get robbed. Yeah, It's a very easy way of reframing 533 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: the narrative and bearing the lead um and changing the conversation. 534 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:09,400 Speaker 1: It's a way of hijacking uh, that cause uh and 535 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:13,920 Speaker 1: turning it into demonizing uh the byproducts of that cause, 536 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 1: which may very well have been entirely peaceful, but then 537 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,120 Speaker 1: are completely reframed. Like we were talking about earlier, how 538 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,600 Speaker 1: you can discredit a movement with purely just with rhetoric 539 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 1: and the way that you refer to things and with 540 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 1: the news cycle, uh, and that starts in positions of 541 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 1: power and often filters down to the news organizations. I 542 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 1: would just say, I'm in a position where I've been 543 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,880 Speaker 1: looking at a lot of archival footage of the civil 544 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,719 Speaker 1: rights movement in the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, 545 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: and what you're talking about here, guys, is exactly what 546 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,920 Speaker 1: you can see in the reporting that immediately follows the 547 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,919 Speaker 1: assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, where there was such 548 00:35:55,000 --> 00:36:00,359 Speaker 1: anger and and fear and unrest that immediately all owed 549 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: that assassination, that there were massive protests there there was, 550 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:11,120 Speaker 1: you know, to an extent um, some some a bit 551 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:14,399 Speaker 1: of I don't know how you describe it. Just there 552 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: were a lot of people on the streets and there 553 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: was smashing of windows and breaking into stores that occurred. 554 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 1: But the framing on this, you know, very dated at 555 00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:26,879 Speaker 1: this point. Media and mass media that was coming out 556 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:30,759 Speaker 1: and reporting about it, it's all framed on the you know, 557 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: quote looting and the in a very similar way that 558 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: you're seeing today looting and riots. Well, it's it's it's 559 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 1: it's a way of saying, oh, if you're gonna behave 560 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,520 Speaker 1: like this, you don't deserve the change that you so 561 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 1: desperately seek, you know, because look at the way you're behaving. 562 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,480 Speaker 1: You know, if you really deserved this thing that you want, 563 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:53,439 Speaker 1: you would go about it a different way. That that's 564 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: me speaking like as the voice of you know, the 565 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,320 Speaker 1: powers that be, and that's the way the conversation is 566 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: attempted to be steered. And speaking of steering the conversation, 567 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:05,719 Speaker 1: I'm going to take us back to another aim of 568 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 1: agent provocateurs that needs to be said. Okay, and this 569 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:15,799 Speaker 1: is something that uh, this this is something that is terrifying, 570 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:18,440 Speaker 1: but it is also real at least in terms of 571 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,120 Speaker 1: an aim, and that is the goal of not just 572 00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: strengthening a rationalization for the actions of the oppositional forces, 573 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 1: but to spark a larger conflict. I'm not I'm not 574 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:35,319 Speaker 1: talking about, you know, making a situation where innocent people 575 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: are arrested, which agent provocateurs do. I'm talking about creating 576 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,880 Speaker 1: something that goes beyond the scope of a single protest, 577 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 1: widespread unrest and violence, a coup, a civil war. There 578 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:50,359 Speaker 1: are groups. There are are groups now you can find 579 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,719 Speaker 1: the Robert Evans has done some excellent reporting on this 580 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:57,800 Speaker 1: where where they're there are groups that are openly advocating 581 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 1: to push things word a civil war. I cannot recommend 582 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 1: his podcast it could happen here enough. I do suggest 583 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 1: you check it out as soon as you at the time. 584 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 1: And these are just a few examples. We have war 585 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 1: specific examples, including first party confessions that said, yes, I 586 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:20,360 Speaker 1: did this, I did this on purpose. Here's why, yeah, 587 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,279 Speaker 1: I mean. In two thousand eleven, The Guardian reported that 588 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: a gentleman named Patrick Howley, who was the assistant editor 589 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 1: at the American Spectator, actually admitted to having infiltrated and 590 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:34,959 Speaker 1: occupy Wall Street protest that was held at the Smithsonian's 591 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 1: National Air and Space Museum, uh, specifically with the aim 592 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:41,759 Speaker 1: of discrediting it. And here's a quote directly from the 593 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,799 Speaker 1: man himself. Uh quote, as far as anyone knew, I 594 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: was part of this cause, a cause that I had 595 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 1: infiltrated the day before in order to mock an undermine 596 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:54,760 Speaker 1: in the pages of the American Spectator. And I wasn't 597 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 1: giving up before I had my story. Yeah, if you 598 00:38:57,880 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: continue reading on in this article, it just rives how 599 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,560 Speaker 1: there were guards at the protest. Uh you know, um 600 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 1: officers essentially who used pepper spray on a lot of 601 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:12,400 Speaker 1: the protesters who were attempting to enter into the museum. 602 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 1: And when you look at Howe's account, Um, you know, 603 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 1: he continues on and condemns the protesters, and this is 604 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:22,640 Speaker 1: what he says. Quote, he condemns their lack of nerve 605 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: to confront authority. And um he he himself wanted to 606 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: escalate things like that was kind of the point. He 607 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 1: was was fully determined to do that, and he rushed, 608 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:39,200 Speaker 1: he rushed past the security guards into the museum. And 609 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: it's it's crazy too if you go back and you 610 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: try and find his official accounting of it or the 611 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: story that he wrote about it, because I was unable 612 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:51,359 Speaker 1: to find an undoctored version of it. We I can 613 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 1: only find it in this or I guess a version 614 00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 1: of it like this in the Guardian, and just really quickly, 615 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:01,399 Speaker 1: The American Spectator is a far right conservative public case. Yeah, 616 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:07,080 Speaker 1: it appears the magazine uh so altered the story right 617 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 1: and then pulled it, tried to pull it entirely, but 618 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 1: it had already been reported in papers of note. Uh. 619 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:20,960 Speaker 1: The Washington Post had been reported in um online sources 620 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:24,960 Speaker 1: that are opposed to far right publications, places like Fire Dog, Lake, 621 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:29,320 Speaker 1: Daily Coast. Uh. We mentioned the earlier example of agent 622 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: provocateur or undercovers in New York, but there's another specific instance, 623 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:40,359 Speaker 1: uh that resulted in actual criminal charges. This person was convicted. Uh, 624 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 1: they went to prison. Yeah, it's true. An undercover motorcycle 625 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 1: officer and unnamed undercover motorcycle officer was caught on video 626 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 1: breaking into a car window and actually assaulting the driver 627 00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:55,920 Speaker 1: of a vehicle that had hit another motorcycle. Uh. And 628 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:59,520 Speaker 1: in he was sent to prison for second degree assault 629 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 1: co or shan riot and criminal mischief. And just to 630 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 1: continue on here, we haven't finished talking about the different 631 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:13,040 Speaker 1: kinds of Asia provocateurs. Here. There are different versions, and 632 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:15,560 Speaker 1: one of them been you already mentioned, called or a 633 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: tactic at least called astroturfing. Astroturfing is when something that 634 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 1: appears to be a grassroots on the ground movement or 635 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:32,279 Speaker 1: community is in fact the creation of um, often a 636 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:37,799 Speaker 1: front company or political institution, uh that is funneling power 637 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:42,840 Speaker 1: from the status quo in into their they're so called 638 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,279 Speaker 1: protest again, it's it's camouflage. Some people who appear to 639 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:50,520 Speaker 1: protest are paid to do so, where they're being organized 640 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:55,480 Speaker 1: by front groups that are funded by powerful corporations, powerful institutions. 641 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 1: There's an article I quite like and recommend from the 642 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:04,160 Speaker 1: l a time in this This tells the story of 643 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:06,799 Speaker 1: this an old one to this from It tells the 644 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:09,920 Speaker 1: story of a firm called crowds on Demands. Have you 645 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:13,040 Speaker 1: guys heard of these people? No, Ben, I've never heard 646 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:16,800 Speaker 1: of that. What what tell me about it? So, Crowds 647 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 1: on Demand is firm based or was at the time 648 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:25,840 Speaker 1: of firm based in Beverly Hills that hires protesters. You 649 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 1: back in the day, you could go to its website 650 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:29,640 Speaker 1: and you would see that it provides its clients would 651 00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:35,680 Speaker 1: quote protests, rallies, flash mobs, paparazzi events, other inventive pr stunts. 652 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:39,960 Speaker 1: We provide everything, including the people, the materials, and even 653 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:43,359 Speaker 1: the ideas. But what kind of stuff have they been 654 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:47,959 Speaker 1: hired to do? They they're hiring actors to do things 655 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,400 Speaker 1: like lobby the City Council of New Orleans on behalf 656 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: of power plants, or to act like fake fans for 657 00:42:57,080 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 1: Life coaches at conferences in l A. It runs the gamut. 658 00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:04,680 Speaker 1: There was also someone who you know, there was a 659 00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:11,399 Speaker 1: lawsuit filed that said the Crowds on Demand organization does 660 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:15,399 Speaker 1: much more shady stuff. And you know, we can make 661 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:17,960 Speaker 1: this an episode of its own, but it has to 662 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:22,640 Speaker 1: be mentioned here. Yeah, I agree, this is an entire episode. 663 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:28,320 Speaker 1: You have probably read things online, either rumors or purported 664 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:34,960 Speaker 1: facts about various various powerful people using such organizations like 665 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:39,040 Speaker 1: Crowds on Demand to get people either to political rallies 666 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 1: or to you know, stand outside of a building in Washington, 667 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:47,000 Speaker 1: d C. Or something. You know, you undoubtedly have seen 668 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:50,279 Speaker 1: that stuff going around. And let's just say we're going 669 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:54,279 Speaker 1: to continue to to look into it. Again. These are facts. 670 00:43:54,320 --> 00:43:58,160 Speaker 1: This is happening. This is a for people who are 671 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:00,799 Speaker 1: unconcerned with the ethics. This is a good business for 672 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,600 Speaker 1: them to be in UH. They are a kind of 673 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 1: what is called an opportunist. That people who started crowds 674 00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 1: on demand are opportunists, there's a different thing that I 675 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:16,799 Speaker 1: think would qualify as opportunists in in this realm UH 676 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:20,520 Speaker 1: of navigating what how protests work and how these bad 677 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,279 Speaker 1: actors work in them bad actors then, I guess is 678 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:27,040 Speaker 1: a poor choice of words given crowds on demand, But 679 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:31,360 Speaker 1: of course there are opportunists involved when when you see 680 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:39,359 Speaker 1: UH reports talking specifically to the people who for some 681 00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:43,480 Speaker 1: reasons say, you know, I don't support this cause because 682 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:47,160 Speaker 1: I see it depicted as um you know, associated with 683 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 1: acts of violence. Opportunists are real. It's it's part of 684 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:54,720 Speaker 1: human nature. And think about it. If you want to 685 00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:58,319 Speaker 1: rob a store, for instance, and there is a protest 686 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:02,680 Speaker 1: going on or unrest, straw riot in in a neighborhood, right, 687 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,759 Speaker 1: what better time? What better time to strike? Law enforcement 688 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:14,040 Speaker 1: is distracted, possibly overwhelmed, possibly in the midst of harming civilians. 689 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,560 Speaker 1: Typical response times are just going to be slower depending 690 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:19,440 Speaker 1: on your location and if you want to rob a 691 00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:22,560 Speaker 1: store located in the same area as a protest, you 692 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:25,240 Speaker 1: can potentially get the power of numbers on your side. 693 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:27,880 Speaker 1: Then there there's a lot of videos. I don't know 694 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:31,160 Speaker 1: if opportunities is the right word here, but um of 695 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 1: of folks that are doing graffiti, whether it's Black Lives 696 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:38,200 Speaker 1: Matter graffiti or like you know, a cab you know 697 00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:40,640 Speaker 1: the term of abuse for all cops are bastards and 698 00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:43,680 Speaker 1: all of this kind of graffiti that we're seeing now, Um, 699 00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:49,040 Speaker 1: there's lots of video circulating where actual peaceful protesters are 700 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,759 Speaker 1: walking up to these individuals doing this and saying, why 701 00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:53,799 Speaker 1: are you doing this? We didn't ask you to do this, 702 00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:56,759 Speaker 1: Like people of color are walking up to you know, 703 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,960 Speaker 1: maybe white marchers or whatever who are doing this and saying, 704 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:02,960 Speaker 1: who asked you to do this? This is not helpful. 705 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:05,800 Speaker 1: And and there's a lot of these videos circulating where 706 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 1: you know, folks are getting in each other's faces because 707 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:10,840 Speaker 1: they're saying, oh, well, I I did it because I 708 00:46:10,840 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 1: support the cause, And then they're basically saying, well, this 709 00:46:13,239 --> 00:46:15,400 Speaker 1: is not helping us, This is not supporting the cause. 710 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:17,440 Speaker 1: So I don't know if you would lump those folks 711 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:20,840 Speaker 1: in as opportunitists or if they're just maybe overstepping I 712 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:23,600 Speaker 1: don't know, but it definitely some folks just want to 713 00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 1: watch the world burn and want to get out there 714 00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:28,799 Speaker 1: and cause trouble. And what better opportunity to be able 715 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:31,160 Speaker 1: to go out there and do that than, you know, 716 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:36,240 Speaker 1: masquerading behind the cause. So there you have it. There 717 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:42,839 Speaker 1: are just numerous examples of someone, some group, some individual 718 00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:47,640 Speaker 1: infiltrating a peaceful protest movement for one reason or another, 719 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:53,160 Speaker 1: for varying you know, um, seeking varying outcomes for doing so. 720 00:46:53,160 --> 00:46:56,840 Speaker 1: So let's say that you find yourself in the midst 721 00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:01,439 Speaker 1: of a protest, peaceful or otherwise, what do you need 722 00:47:01,480 --> 00:47:04,440 Speaker 1: to do to prepare yourself. We're going to talk about 723 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 1: that right after a word from our sponsor, and at 724 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:16,880 Speaker 1: the top of this section, it's important to thank everybody 725 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:20,080 Speaker 1: who reached out to us or to the show, uh 726 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:25,879 Speaker 1: to to ask about this information. Um, We're we're gonna 727 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:30,200 Speaker 1: run through real quick, some basic things, uh, some basic 728 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:33,759 Speaker 1: resources for protests. Again, this is not in any way 729 00:47:33,800 --> 00:47:38,399 Speaker 1: meant to tell anyone anything about how to protest. These 730 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:42,440 Speaker 1: are safety tips that have been time tested, right and 731 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:48,800 Speaker 1: protests are approved organizations like Amnesty International have these brilliant 732 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:53,440 Speaker 1: handy checklists that you can and should consult before hitting 733 00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:58,880 Speaker 1: the streets. This is not the time for improvisation. Here 734 00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:02,400 Speaker 1: here a few tips. We've got a physical checklist, right, 735 00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:06,839 Speaker 1: some basic things you should consider when protesting clothing, right, Yeah, 736 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:09,280 Speaker 1: Ideally you want some kind of sturdy boots, some shoes 737 00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:12,120 Speaker 1: they're in a a stand up to having to run, 738 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:15,800 Speaker 1: and also be careful not to wear you know, maybe 739 00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:20,360 Speaker 1: military surplus boots that are often worn by undercover police officers, 740 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,839 Speaker 1: because you you don't want to be accused of that 741 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:26,520 Speaker 1: for sure. Sturdy pants are important. Long sleeve top is 742 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:28,799 Speaker 1: going to be important, and something you can use to 743 00:48:28,840 --> 00:48:31,480 Speaker 1: cover your face your head in case tear gas or 744 00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:34,520 Speaker 1: something else is released that's gonna make it difficult for 745 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:36,600 Speaker 1: you to breathe. Yeah, and and and you know, this 746 00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:39,680 Speaker 1: is almost like it reminds me of our go bag episode. 747 00:48:39,719 --> 00:48:41,920 Speaker 1: And you know, these are just very functional tips of 748 00:48:41,960 --> 00:48:44,279 Speaker 1: things that maybe you wouldn't necessarily think of, but that 749 00:48:44,320 --> 00:48:46,120 Speaker 1: are gonna, you know, go a long way for you. 750 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:49,360 Speaker 1: Water in a plastic bottle seems obvious, but a squirt 751 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:51,960 Speaker 1: top if possible, because you may be able to use 752 00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:55,759 Speaker 1: that to flush out chemicals from your eyes. That's gonna 753 00:48:55,800 --> 00:48:59,640 Speaker 1: be really important, and that giving that stream a little 754 00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:02,360 Speaker 1: more worse is going to help make that happen and 755 00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:05,000 Speaker 1: flush out tear gas potentially from your eyes, which, as 756 00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:08,360 Speaker 1: it turns out, is like a a powder that is 757 00:49:08,480 --> 00:49:11,240 Speaker 1: that is converted into a mist. It's not even a liquid. 758 00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:15,120 Speaker 1: So it's literally like washing out you know, solids that 759 00:49:15,239 --> 00:49:17,200 Speaker 1: have found their way into your eyes. So the only 760 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:20,279 Speaker 1: way to do that is, you know, what better alternative 761 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:22,640 Speaker 1: to an eye wash station like in a science lab 762 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:26,560 Speaker 1: than a pressure you know, propelled uh stream of water 763 00:49:26,640 --> 00:49:29,799 Speaker 1: from a from a squirt top water bottle. Um. And 764 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:33,440 Speaker 1: also a little additive would be to have some baking 765 00:49:33,480 --> 00:49:36,320 Speaker 1: soda on hand that you can add to that water 766 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:39,160 Speaker 1: solution three teaspoons of powder for every eight and a 767 00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:41,880 Speaker 1: half ounces of liquid. And then you know, just stuff 768 00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:44,600 Speaker 1: like snacks to keep your energy up, you know, like uh, 769 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:48,040 Speaker 1: like a kind bar like like you know those uh 770 00:49:48,239 --> 00:49:50,880 Speaker 1: what are this called cliff bars things like that anything 771 00:49:50,880 --> 00:49:54,880 Speaker 1: that like is very nutrient dense um in a small package. 772 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:59,080 Speaker 1: One quick important note about whether or not you should 773 00:49:59,120 --> 00:50:01,600 Speaker 1: bring your eye D or an I D with you 774 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:05,840 Speaker 1: to a protest. The laws may vary state by states, 775 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:08,920 Speaker 1: so be sure to check in advance before you hit 776 00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:12,359 Speaker 1: the streets. We'll talk a little bit about this in organization, 777 00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:16,000 Speaker 1: but the one I always say one crucial point to 778 00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:21,560 Speaker 1: remember is to physically write a contact number on your 779 00:50:21,840 --> 00:50:25,920 Speaker 1: arm for legal assistance. Don't don't make the mistake of 780 00:50:26,000 --> 00:50:28,520 Speaker 1: thinking that you'll have a phone or that you'll have 781 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:32,560 Speaker 1: your phone working, because you may be offered a chance 782 00:50:32,600 --> 00:50:36,200 Speaker 1: if you're arrested detained to make one phone call, and 783 00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:38,560 Speaker 1: if you don't have that number with you, you may 784 00:50:38,600 --> 00:50:40,680 Speaker 1: not be able to find it. So write it on yourself. 785 00:50:41,040 --> 00:50:44,880 Speaker 1: Definitely bring some kind of money in the United States, 786 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:47,080 Speaker 1: it's going to be paper. You might need this for 787 00:50:47,239 --> 00:50:51,719 Speaker 1: some kind of emergency situation, transportation, food, whatever it is. 788 00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:54,600 Speaker 1: Just make sure you don't carry a bunch of cash 789 00:50:54,880 --> 00:50:58,040 Speaker 1: because as we said, there are going to be undoubtedly 790 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:02,400 Speaker 1: some opportunists around, or at least in a lot of cases, 791 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:04,319 Speaker 1: there will be some who may see that as an 792 00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:08,440 Speaker 1: opportunity to take your money. And to be clear that 793 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:11,920 Speaker 1: that term could apply to unethical police officers or law 794 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:15,480 Speaker 1: enforcement as well. Speaking of which, uh, you know you 795 00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:17,600 Speaker 1: want to have a watch, you want to have paper, 796 00:51:17,600 --> 00:51:20,200 Speaker 1: and a pen um. You don't want to necessarily rely 797 00:51:20,320 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: on your phone. But I also saw a really interesting 798 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:26,759 Speaker 1: point where you may want to turn off face recognition 799 00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:31,200 Speaker 1: unlocking from your phone because a bad actor, um law 800 00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:33,960 Speaker 1: enforcement agent could just hold it up to your face 801 00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:37,520 Speaker 1: and then have access to your entire um, your your 802 00:51:37,640 --> 00:51:41,880 Speaker 1: entire contact list, any potential notes that you have, you know, 803 00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:44,920 Speaker 1: and and could just go through your whole um life 804 00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:48,200 Speaker 1: on your phone and use that information against you. I 805 00:51:48,200 --> 00:51:51,000 Speaker 1: I would say perhaps a track phone would be a 806 00:51:51,040 --> 00:51:54,600 Speaker 1: good idea rather than your actual phone, because you know, 807 00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:57,680 Speaker 1: as we've talked about in previous episodes, there is tracking 808 00:51:57,719 --> 00:52:00,440 Speaker 1: technology when there are a lot of people gathered in 809 00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:03,880 Speaker 1: something like this, especially if it's a political protest where 810 00:52:04,320 --> 00:52:07,080 Speaker 1: law enforcement of one kind or another, maybe tracking to 811 00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:10,399 Speaker 1: see who is there. An airplane mode doesn't really make 812 00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:13,440 Speaker 1: a difference, to be honest with you. The only thing 813 00:52:13,520 --> 00:52:17,200 Speaker 1: that would make a big difference it would be physically 814 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:20,960 Speaker 1: removing the battery or placing a phone in a fair 815 00:52:21,080 --> 00:52:24,560 Speaker 1: day cage, essentially a basic first aid kid if you 816 00:52:24,560 --> 00:52:29,120 Speaker 1: have room. Remember you're there to support and help your 817 00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:33,400 Speaker 1: fellow protesters and help your cause, not there to get 818 00:52:33,680 --> 00:52:39,120 Speaker 1: some kind of congratulatory selfie. Last thing, eye protection. Don't 819 00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:42,640 Speaker 1: wear contacts. These are these are small, very basic things. 820 00:52:42,680 --> 00:52:46,480 Speaker 1: They're there to protect you. What about an organization? Really quickly, 821 00:52:46,520 --> 00:52:48,520 Speaker 1: just back to social media. I thought it was very 822 00:52:48,560 --> 00:52:52,280 Speaker 1: interesting how there was this blackout Tuesday situation where people 823 00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:55,279 Speaker 1: were posting these black squares on Instagram, and there was 824 00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:58,480 Speaker 1: very quickly a backlash against that because people were using 825 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:02,759 Speaker 1: the hashtag black Lives adder. And it really, it is 826 00:53:02,840 --> 00:53:06,319 Speaker 1: so important these hashtags. It seems frivolous when you think about, Oh, 827 00:53:06,320 --> 00:53:08,799 Speaker 1: social media is all about you know, showing out and 828 00:53:08,800 --> 00:53:10,960 Speaker 1: and and being seen and and uh, you know, kind 829 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:13,279 Speaker 1: of lifestyle stuff. But when it comes to stuff like this, 830 00:53:13,400 --> 00:53:16,920 Speaker 1: those kinds of hashtags are how that information is organized. 831 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:19,160 Speaker 1: So if you co opt a hashtag like black Lives 832 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:22,560 Speaker 1: Matter for a black square, that's sort of a you know, 833 00:53:22,600 --> 00:53:24,640 Speaker 1: I don't want to call it performative, it's definitely an 834 00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:27,759 Speaker 1: act of solidarity. And I did it myself, but very 835 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:32,040 Speaker 1: quickly people started posting, yo, don't use that hashtag because 836 00:53:32,040 --> 00:53:37,120 Speaker 1: you're erasing other people's actually valuable information that is using 837 00:53:37,120 --> 00:53:39,880 Speaker 1: that hashtag, and it's organized uh you know, ways to 838 00:53:39,920 --> 00:53:42,920 Speaker 1: search for you know, up to the minute information. So 839 00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:45,960 Speaker 1: they created a you know, hashtag blackout Tuesday. Um So, 840 00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:48,640 Speaker 1: I just think that's interesting how important social media is 841 00:53:48,680 --> 00:53:51,920 Speaker 1: in all of this kind of stuff. Another another important 842 00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:55,360 Speaker 1: basic thing to be aware of his organization. You know, 843 00:53:55,400 --> 00:53:57,439 Speaker 1: as you said at the top of this, it's still 844 00:53:57,480 --> 00:54:00,440 Speaker 1: at the time for improvisation. When you set off, have 845 00:54:00,520 --> 00:54:04,680 Speaker 1: a timetable, have people who are not at the protest 846 00:54:05,360 --> 00:54:11,000 Speaker 1: aware of your location and where you plan to be afterwards. 847 00:54:11,080 --> 00:54:16,120 Speaker 1: You can also have have accountability with your groups that 848 00:54:16,160 --> 00:54:19,480 Speaker 1: you go with. Have a meeting spot that is outside 849 00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:21,680 Speaker 1: where you think the protests will be, so you can 850 00:54:21,680 --> 00:54:25,480 Speaker 1: confirm everyone's safety, and so you can have a destination 851 00:54:25,560 --> 00:54:30,120 Speaker 1: and a plan. Situational awareness at a protest is highly important. 852 00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:33,759 Speaker 1: We would recommend avoiding drugs or alcohol or anything else 853 00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:36,920 Speaker 1: that's going to impair you know, your judgment or reaction time, 854 00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:40,000 Speaker 1: and you always have to be able to react to 855 00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:44,920 Speaker 1: that danger immediately and you know, not not be held 856 00:54:44,920 --> 00:54:48,600 Speaker 1: back by whatever substance you're doing. Not not to mention 857 00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:51,360 Speaker 1: you don't want to have some contraband on you that 858 00:54:51,400 --> 00:54:54,400 Speaker 1: can be also used against you if you are searched, 859 00:54:54,520 --> 00:54:57,640 Speaker 1: and then that gives you know, law enforcement a reason 860 00:54:57,719 --> 00:55:01,759 Speaker 1: to lock you up. Yeah, print out or obtain what's 861 00:55:01,800 --> 00:55:05,200 Speaker 1: called a bust card. Uh. This is think of like 862 00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:08,600 Speaker 1: it's like a very small, easy to carry piece of 863 00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:12,680 Speaker 1: paper that bullet points out your legal rights. Uh. Some dudes, 864 00:55:12,680 --> 00:55:16,320 Speaker 1: and don't contact numbers. Uh. You know you can find 865 00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:20,759 Speaker 1: many examples of this from different countries. Uh. And and 866 00:55:20,840 --> 00:55:22,840 Speaker 1: it's a handy thing to have. Of course. You know 867 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:25,520 Speaker 1: the question there's who as a printer, right, you may 868 00:55:25,560 --> 00:55:27,879 Speaker 1: be in a situation where you find people who are 869 00:55:27,960 --> 00:55:31,839 Speaker 1: distributing these four free and lastly, just at all times 870 00:55:31,840 --> 00:55:34,439 Speaker 1: to be ready to you know, help out someone who's 871 00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:38,320 Speaker 1: next to you who is protesting. You can provide support 872 00:55:38,320 --> 00:55:40,680 Speaker 1: for people in all sorts of different ways, you know, 873 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:44,120 Speaker 1: especially if there's somebody who you know is getting tired, 874 00:55:44,920 --> 00:55:48,520 Speaker 1: who has some kind of metal medical condition, who is dehydrated, 875 00:55:48,640 --> 00:55:52,239 Speaker 1: or has been injured for one reason or another. Just 876 00:55:52,320 --> 00:55:55,200 Speaker 1: remember to you know, be there for for everyone, and 877 00:55:55,239 --> 00:55:59,520 Speaker 1: also to not not let bad actors go unnoticed. Let's 878 00:55:59,520 --> 00:56:03,560 Speaker 1: talk about being equally important, which is it may be 879 00:56:03,800 --> 00:56:06,640 Speaker 1: more important, which is what not to do. Uh. So 880 00:56:06,680 --> 00:56:08,960 Speaker 1: in some of our conversation, it's obvious that people have 881 00:56:09,040 --> 00:56:13,600 Speaker 1: different opinions, and everybody has the same specific answers, but 882 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:17,160 Speaker 1: these things are pretty solid first, and I think this 883 00:56:17,239 --> 00:56:19,279 Speaker 1: answer is a lot of questions people have about what 884 00:56:19,320 --> 00:56:22,680 Speaker 1: they should or shouldn't bring. Don't carry things that you 885 00:56:22,719 --> 00:56:26,640 Speaker 1: cannot afford to lose. Do not assume everyone is there 886 00:56:26,760 --> 00:56:29,120 Speaker 1: for the same reason as you. Yeah, I think we've 887 00:56:29,200 --> 00:56:31,319 Speaker 1: more than covered. That's sort of the whole point of 888 00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:35,080 Speaker 1: this episode is that there are many reasons, many agendas 889 00:56:35,120 --> 00:56:38,440 Speaker 1: that might lead people to come to these types of events, 890 00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:41,080 Speaker 1: and and a lot of them are not in your 891 00:56:41,120 --> 00:56:44,719 Speaker 1: best interest. People are not aligned with what you are 892 00:56:44,800 --> 00:56:47,839 Speaker 1: there for a lot of the time. So just depth, 893 00:56:47,920 --> 00:56:50,440 Speaker 1: never assume, and and don't wear things that can easily 894 00:56:50,480 --> 00:56:53,279 Speaker 1: be grabbed. Um. You know, you might want to put 895 00:56:53,320 --> 00:56:55,720 Speaker 1: your hair up in a tight bun rather than wearing 896 00:56:55,760 --> 00:56:58,600 Speaker 1: it and pigtails or a ponytail, or something that can 897 00:56:58,600 --> 00:57:01,520 Speaker 1: be allowed used to drag you to the ground for example. 898 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:05,000 Speaker 1: Um or you know, pieces of clothing that are very 899 00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:07,879 Speaker 1: baggy that could be grabbed as well, that that would 900 00:57:07,920 --> 00:57:10,080 Speaker 1: be something that that you would want to avoid. And 901 00:57:10,080 --> 00:57:11,759 Speaker 1: there are a lot of things you could put on 902 00:57:11,840 --> 00:57:15,439 Speaker 1: your body. A lot of them are moisturizers, or would 903 00:57:15,440 --> 00:57:19,160 Speaker 1: be used as some kind of moisturizers sometimes sunscreens, mineral 904 00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:22,920 Speaker 1: oils or vasilines. These things can actually trap some of 905 00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:25,480 Speaker 1: the chemicals that may be sprayed in your direction were 906 00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:28,120 Speaker 1: released uh and and hit you and it will stick 907 00:57:28,160 --> 00:57:32,200 Speaker 1: to your skin. Uh And you know it will essentially 908 00:57:32,200 --> 00:57:37,040 Speaker 1: amplify the effects. So do not don't do that. And 909 00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:40,640 Speaker 1: this is difficult, but do your best to think critically. 910 00:57:40,880 --> 00:57:45,640 Speaker 1: Be aware that misinformation as well as active disinformation. UM. 911 00:57:45,800 --> 00:57:49,400 Speaker 1: Misinformation is kind of something that's accidentally not true. Disinformation 912 00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:51,800 Speaker 1: is something that's purposely not true. That's the best way 913 00:57:51,800 --> 00:57:55,240 Speaker 1: to remember it. Both of these can proliferate at an 914 00:57:55,320 --> 00:58:00,680 Speaker 1: extremely quick rate, especially when we see lines of traditional 915 00:58:00,760 --> 00:58:06,600 Speaker 1: normal communication breaking down. And lastly, do not go alone 916 00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:08,960 Speaker 1: if you can help it. Yeah, I would say that's 917 00:58:09,080 --> 00:58:11,960 Speaker 1: that's pretty important. At the very least, if you have 918 00:58:12,040 --> 00:58:14,960 Speaker 1: to go alone, make sure someone's got your back remotely 919 00:58:15,240 --> 00:58:17,560 Speaker 1: and that they know where you are and that you 920 00:58:17,600 --> 00:58:21,280 Speaker 1: can reach somebody to let them know. Uh if if 921 00:58:21,320 --> 00:58:27,400 Speaker 1: things go south. We hope this information is helpful. Again, 922 00:58:27,440 --> 00:58:32,160 Speaker 1: there are more resources, many many organizations that have these 923 00:58:32,160 --> 00:58:35,520 Speaker 1: bus cards, that have these checklists, that have recommendations dues 924 00:58:35,520 --> 00:58:41,600 Speaker 1: and don't please do look into these And again, there 925 00:58:41,680 --> 00:58:46,760 Speaker 1: is one main takeaway from this episode, the conspiracy to 926 00:58:46,920 --> 00:58:51,840 Speaker 1: discredit and to escalate protests. Counter two, The aims of 927 00:58:51,840 --> 00:58:56,120 Speaker 1: a protest are real. This stuff does happen. Agent provocateurs 928 00:58:56,240 --> 00:59:00,720 Speaker 1: do exist. They're not some sort of mythical east. The 929 00:59:00,760 --> 00:59:03,760 Speaker 1: real ones can operate successfully and he can get away 930 00:59:03,840 --> 00:59:06,080 Speaker 1: with it and just just really quick to sew up 931 00:59:06,080 --> 00:59:08,120 Speaker 1: a couple of things that we sort of foreshadowed, like 932 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:11,200 Speaker 1: you know there again, there's a lot of information moving 933 00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:14,920 Speaker 1: very quickly, especially right now as things have escalated with 934 00:59:15,040 --> 00:59:18,560 Speaker 1: our situation in the United States. But the notion of 935 00:59:19,680 --> 00:59:22,680 Speaker 1: you know, things like piles of bricks showing up um 936 00:59:23,280 --> 00:59:27,720 Speaker 1: and old model police cars being put out like as 937 00:59:27,800 --> 00:59:32,320 Speaker 1: bait or something, a lot of that has been largely discredited. Um. 938 00:59:32,360 --> 00:59:34,640 Speaker 1: That's not to say that it's not possible that these 939 00:59:34,640 --> 00:59:39,480 Speaker 1: things are are real. Uh. And it's also a slippery 940 00:59:39,480 --> 00:59:44,920 Speaker 1: slope when you talk about blaming a movement or a 941 00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:48,960 Speaker 1: protest on external forces that are not uh, you know 942 00:59:49,080 --> 00:59:53,800 Speaker 1: germane to that outcry that that that surrounds that particular protest. 943 00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:56,920 Speaker 1: It's a way of like kind of like neutering you know, 944 00:59:57,040 --> 00:59:59,960 Speaker 1: the power of that movement by saying, oh, it's actually 945 01:00:00,120 --> 01:00:02,800 Speaker 1: being caused not by the real reason that it's being caused, 946 01:00:02,800 --> 01:00:04,920 Speaker 1: but by something else. And I think we've done a 947 01:00:04,920 --> 01:00:07,960 Speaker 1: good job today of of of differentiating those things. But 948 01:00:07,960 --> 01:00:10,040 Speaker 1: I just want to make you know, make sure that 949 01:00:10,040 --> 01:00:14,840 Speaker 1: that that's clear. And we have to absolutely remember that 950 01:00:14,880 --> 01:00:19,040 Speaker 1: when we are on social media, whatever platform you use, UH, 951 01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:22,880 Speaker 1: you have to be extremely vigilant when analyzing and sharing stuff. 952 01:00:23,400 --> 01:00:26,200 Speaker 1: Whatever the post is, no matter how much you agree 953 01:00:26,240 --> 01:00:28,520 Speaker 1: with it, you just have to be careful and really 954 01:00:28,560 --> 01:00:31,120 Speaker 1: analyze it. Because there have been, as you said, there 955 01:00:31,600 --> 01:00:34,200 Speaker 1: know a lot of false reports that have come out 956 01:00:34,280 --> 01:00:38,120 Speaker 1: essentially as rumors that that have just spread across social media. 957 01:00:38,680 --> 01:00:41,520 Speaker 1: And you know, we kind of you mentioned the bricks. 958 01:00:42,840 --> 01:00:46,080 Speaker 1: There have been several examples posted out there that have 959 01:00:46,240 --> 01:00:50,560 Speaker 1: been proven to not have anything to do with uh, 960 01:00:50,720 --> 01:00:54,720 Speaker 1: you know, purposeful planting for uses with protesters or during 961 01:00:54,760 --> 01:00:58,160 Speaker 1: the protest to escalate things. Um. You know, I made 962 01:00:58,160 --> 01:01:00,400 Speaker 1: a note here just to call to call the one 963 01:01:00,440 --> 01:01:02,960 Speaker 1: that occurred in Sherman Oaks, California, where there were these 964 01:01:03,000 --> 01:01:07,560 Speaker 1: metal metal enclosures filled with stones, and BuzzFeed News and 965 01:01:07,640 --> 01:01:10,240 Speaker 1: some other people did some you know, looking into this 966 01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:12,840 Speaker 1: and found out that this was actually a security or 967 01:01:12,880 --> 01:01:16,760 Speaker 1: these were security structures for a Jewish community building in 968 01:01:16,840 --> 01:01:19,880 Speaker 1: Sherman Oaks, California, and they've been installed like a year ago, 969 01:01:20,080 --> 01:01:24,640 Speaker 1: prior to the protests. But that doesn't mean that every 970 01:01:24,720 --> 01:01:28,000 Speaker 1: instance where bricks have been found or some kind of 971 01:01:28,160 --> 01:01:32,320 Speaker 1: projectile heavy projectiles have been found stashed near protest area 972 01:01:32,360 --> 01:01:34,320 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that every one of those is just an 973 01:01:34,360 --> 01:01:37,520 Speaker 1: innocuous thing. It means you have to analyze each one 974 01:01:37,600 --> 01:01:43,240 Speaker 1: of them individually, especially because, as it said earlier, protests 975 01:01:43,280 --> 01:01:48,439 Speaker 1: nowadays occur in digital space. Please please please check out 976 01:01:48,440 --> 01:01:52,640 Speaker 1: the earlier work on the proliferation of bots. Russian and 977 01:01:52,680 --> 01:01:57,200 Speaker 1: non Russian alike. Foreign and domestic forces are gaming the system, 978 01:01:57,400 --> 01:02:00,720 Speaker 1: their muddying the waters. They're altering the narrative with great 979 01:02:00,800 --> 01:02:04,480 Speaker 1: success in the past, and the president is no different 980 01:02:04,600 --> 01:02:07,760 Speaker 1: and the future probably won't be either. I have a 981 01:02:07,840 --> 01:02:12,360 Speaker 1: lighthearted example of this. My favorite current example of this 982 01:02:12,400 --> 01:02:17,680 Speaker 1: phenomenon is the k pop fans online who are flooding 983 01:02:18,200 --> 01:02:23,040 Speaker 1: far right wing hashtags with some of their favorite Korean pop. 984 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:29,640 Speaker 1: That is uh, it is fantastic to see. I recommend 985 01:02:29,720 --> 01:02:32,240 Speaker 1: checking that out. If you want a little bit of 986 01:02:32,280 --> 01:02:36,600 Speaker 1: a pick me up in these uh, these incredibly terrible times. 987 01:02:36,640 --> 01:02:39,840 Speaker 1: I mean this is these last few months have been 988 01:02:39,880 --> 01:02:44,720 Speaker 1: the longest year ever. Yeah, it really has been. Whoever 989 01:02:44,760 --> 01:02:47,520 Speaker 1: controls this whole timeline thing that we're living in this 990 01:02:47,600 --> 01:02:50,479 Speaker 1: multiverse is really piling on right now, cut it out, 991 01:02:50,680 --> 01:02:55,040 Speaker 1: whoever you are, Geez Louise. Yeah. And then just to 992 01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:57,320 Speaker 1: just you know, for a final note, and this is 993 01:02:57,360 --> 01:02:59,439 Speaker 1: something that I have a lot of questions around because 994 01:02:59,440 --> 01:03:02,000 Speaker 1: again were talking about, like with social media, so much 995 01:03:02,000 --> 01:03:05,840 Speaker 1: information is able to be kind of hijacked and used, 996 01:03:06,320 --> 01:03:09,040 Speaker 1: uh in a way that's it's very share able. Uh, 997 01:03:09,080 --> 01:03:12,840 Speaker 1: therefore it is proliferated, but it could absolutely and often 998 01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:16,920 Speaker 1: is misinformation. But one final example, UM is is you 999 01:03:16,960 --> 01:03:20,320 Speaker 1: know a lot of rumors going around, uh you know, 1000 01:03:20,400 --> 01:03:24,440 Speaker 1: on on social media about groups such as UM what's 1001 01:03:24,520 --> 01:03:28,920 Speaker 1: referred to collectively as antifa UM going out to suburban 1002 01:03:29,000 --> 01:03:31,800 Speaker 1: areas or rural areas to carry out acts of violence. 1003 01:03:31,800 --> 01:03:33,959 Speaker 1: And I just want to take this opportunity to clarify 1004 01:03:34,200 --> 01:03:36,040 Speaker 1: UM something that I've personally been a little in the 1005 01:03:36,120 --> 01:03:39,439 Speaker 1: dark about the notion of antifa I understand to mean 1006 01:03:39,480 --> 01:03:43,160 Speaker 1: anti fascist, which sounds like a positive thing to me, 1007 01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:47,200 Speaker 1: being anti fascist, but it's been kind of commodified as 1008 01:03:47,200 --> 01:03:50,720 Speaker 1: a term of abuse and almost taken on the tone 1009 01:03:50,760 --> 01:03:53,600 Speaker 1: of like this is a terrorist group, the Antifa. But 1010 01:03:54,280 --> 01:03:58,040 Speaker 1: my understanding is that no such group per se exists. 1011 01:03:58,600 --> 01:04:01,800 Speaker 1: Um It's not a monaker that is associated with like 1012 01:04:01,840 --> 01:04:05,680 Speaker 1: a particular you know, mission statement or a group of people. 1013 01:04:05,880 --> 01:04:09,800 Speaker 1: It's just kind of a a morphous collective. Um So, 1014 01:04:10,040 --> 01:04:11,600 Speaker 1: can you we just talk a little bit about what 1015 01:04:11,680 --> 01:04:14,400 Speaker 1: antifa means and how it's being used, just to give 1016 01:04:14,440 --> 01:04:16,960 Speaker 1: folks a little perspective on that, um I. I would, 1017 01:04:17,440 --> 01:04:21,320 Speaker 1: you know, with having limited understanding of this, I would 1018 01:04:21,360 --> 01:04:25,080 Speaker 1: just say that has been used in the media recently, 1019 01:04:25,160 --> 01:04:28,360 Speaker 1: and you know in the past couple of decades. Two 1020 01:04:29,080 --> 01:04:33,960 Speaker 1: really represent any number of smaller groups that would consider 1021 01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:39,400 Speaker 1: themselves perhaps anarchists or or people who are against the 1022 01:04:39,400 --> 01:04:42,640 Speaker 1: the status quo systems that are set up and just 1023 01:04:42,680 --> 01:04:46,600 Speaker 1: wish to see change there. But you know, it really 1024 01:04:46,600 --> 01:04:50,640 Speaker 1: depends on which organization is reporting at the time or 1025 01:04:50,680 --> 01:04:53,880 Speaker 1: who's who's talking about them. I believe that um I 1026 01:04:53,960 --> 01:04:59,480 Speaker 1: man mentioned this earlier. The phrase has a lot in 1027 01:04:59,560 --> 01:05:03,040 Speaker 1: common with the phrase anonymous, an earlier activist group that 1028 01:05:03,120 --> 01:05:06,280 Speaker 1: has recently been back in the news. The Achilles heel 1029 01:05:07,080 --> 01:05:10,720 Speaker 1: of this kind of grouping is that there is obviously 1030 01:05:10,880 --> 01:05:16,880 Speaker 1: no official certification to be an anti fascist group UM. 1031 01:05:17,000 --> 01:05:21,080 Speaker 1: And the key is there is also no official certification 1032 01:05:21,160 --> 01:05:25,360 Speaker 1: to claim oneself a member of anonymous. I will say, 1033 01:05:25,360 --> 01:05:29,760 Speaker 1: if you want to um, dehumanize or vilify, or you know, 1034 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:33,520 Speaker 1: use a thought terminating cliche to get past people's critical 1035 01:05:33,560 --> 01:05:37,760 Speaker 1: thinking faculties, then of course you make a term, make 1036 01:05:37,800 --> 01:05:40,880 Speaker 1: a term that is pretty short, is easy to understand, 1037 01:05:41,320 --> 01:05:45,160 Speaker 1: and that itself, while being a portmanteau, is not you know, 1038 01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:48,480 Speaker 1: an existing word or you change it right. Uh. And 1039 01:05:48,560 --> 01:05:52,479 Speaker 1: this this is a tactic that's employed often. I would 1040 01:05:52,560 --> 01:05:55,760 Speaker 1: like to I would like to note several things that 1041 01:05:55,880 --> 01:05:58,680 Speaker 1: we have not covered in this episode. We've not covered 1042 01:05:58,720 --> 01:06:04,040 Speaker 1: anti FA. I think the anti fascism organization, the evolution 1043 01:06:04,080 --> 01:06:08,360 Speaker 1: of that term deserves its own episode, as do specific 1044 01:06:08,440 --> 01:06:14,480 Speaker 1: instances of people attempting to capitalize on on a movement 1045 01:06:14,600 --> 01:06:18,080 Speaker 1: or protest for their own ends. Splinter groups, you know, 1046 01:06:18,160 --> 01:06:21,000 Speaker 1: militia are in there. There are a lot of Internet 1047 01:06:21,000 --> 01:06:24,640 Speaker 1: warriors who are talking on a forum and a certain 1048 01:06:24,640 --> 01:06:29,760 Speaker 1: amount of them are going uh into protests to attempt 1049 01:06:29,800 --> 01:06:32,560 Speaker 1: to push their agenda. These are things that we we 1050 01:06:32,640 --> 01:06:34,640 Speaker 1: have to cover in a future episode and we need 1051 01:06:34,680 --> 01:06:37,320 Speaker 1: your help. Yeah, so let us know what you think. 1052 01:06:37,800 --> 01:06:41,560 Speaker 1: You can write to us online UM in the various 1053 01:06:41,600 --> 01:06:45,840 Speaker 1: social media spots. We are conspiracy Stuff or conspiracy Stuff 1054 01:06:45,880 --> 01:06:50,160 Speaker 1: show on the usual platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and you 1055 01:06:50,200 --> 01:06:53,800 Speaker 1: can also join our Facebook group. Here's where it gets crazy, 1056 01:06:53,880 --> 01:06:56,640 Speaker 1: where there's a lot of real time conversation that goes 1057 01:06:56,680 --> 01:06:59,880 Speaker 1: on around every episode we do and beyond. You can 1058 01:07:00,080 --> 01:07:01,880 Speaker 1: give us a phone call if you haven't have your 1059 01:07:01,880 --> 01:07:05,040 Speaker 1: phone with you. Our number is one eight three three 1060 01:07:05,440 --> 01:07:09,520 Speaker 1: s T d W y t K. We would encourage 1061 01:07:09,520 --> 01:07:12,440 Speaker 1: you to call us if possible, to either report on 1062 01:07:12,480 --> 01:07:15,120 Speaker 1: something you're seeing, um no matter where you are and 1063 01:07:15,160 --> 01:07:17,439 Speaker 1: what you're doing, or to just give us an idea 1064 01:07:17,480 --> 01:07:20,760 Speaker 1: for an episode, or just tell us, uh, tell us 1065 01:07:20,800 --> 01:07:22,960 Speaker 1: what you think about all of this stuff. And if 1066 01:07:22,960 --> 01:07:24,280 Speaker 1: you don't want to do any of that stuff, but 1067 01:07:24,320 --> 01:07:26,479 Speaker 1: you still want to contact us, you can always send 1068 01:07:26,560 --> 01:07:29,920 Speaker 1: us a good old fashioned email. We are conspiracy at 1069 01:07:29,920 --> 01:07:51,440 Speaker 1: i heeart radio dot com. Stuff they Don't Want You 1070 01:07:51,480 --> 01:07:54,120 Speaker 1: to Know is a production of I Heart Radio. For 1071 01:07:54,200 --> 01:07:56,560 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I heart 1072 01:07:56,640 --> 01:07:59,400 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 1073 01:07:59,400 --> 01:07:59,959 Speaker 1: favorite show.