1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Folks, welcome back to the show. We're returning with a 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: classic as we get reacquainted with life on the land. 3 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: And there was a moment in twenty twenty you'll recall 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: Matt when we were very taken with the darker side 5 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: of protest. 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 2: Oh yes, there are a lot of protests happening around 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 2: this time for a very good reason, and there were 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: a lot of allegations, specifically in the news here in 9 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: the US, that those protests were turning violent very quickly 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: because of a contingent a group that I'm actually not 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 2: even going to say right now because I don't want 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: to say it into a microphone. 13 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: No, wow, yeah, deep or black block protest tactics. The 14 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: idea here is something called the agent provocateur. It's inherently conspiratorial. 15 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: We know it's existed in other parts of the world 16 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: and other protests and other activist movements throughout history. But 17 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: the concept is this, Let's say you're a tyrant and 18 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: you've got a ton of people in your local population 19 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: who are kind of mad at you. 20 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 2: Like like seven million of them or something like on 21 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 2: a Saturday. 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: Right, right, right, and they are smart enough to know 23 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: that they want to do peaceful protests. But you need 24 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: a reason to crack down on these pleabs. 25 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 3: Well, like with the National Guard, I dare. 26 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: Say, well, one of the things is that if you 27 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: can't encounter the good old organic chaos that would rationalize 28 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: a crackdown, well you just create it. Why don't you 29 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: have some kind of agent who could provoke that reaction? 30 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: Oh my god, we need to get into this. 31 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 4: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 32 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 4: really with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 33 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 4: learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A 34 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 4: production of Iheartrading. 35 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 2: Hello, welcome back to the show today. We are recording 36 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 2: this on June three, twenty twenty. 37 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 3: My name is Matt, my name is Noah. 38 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: They call me Ben. We are joined as always with 39 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: our super producer Paul Mission Control decads. Most importantly, you 40 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: are you. You are here, and that makes this stuff 41 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know. As we record today, 42 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: cities and towns across the United States and the world 43 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: are the stage and ground for numerous peaceful protests against 44 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: ongoing police brutality and longstanding discrimination against the Black community 45 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 1: of the United States. Escalation has resulted in violence as 46 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: authorities resort to what are sometimes misleadingly called less than 47 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: lethal tactics to force these groups to disperse. We are 48 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: three mostly white dudes, and we stand in solidarity with 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: our fellow black citizens Black lives Matter. Anything said to distract, from, discredit, 50 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: or dilute that statement goes squarely against the stated principles 51 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: of this government in its founding documents, and crucially, it 52 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: goes against what it means to be a human being. 53 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: We don't have all the answers. It would be false 54 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: to pretend that we do. The good news is that 55 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: there are many organizations and activists out there now easy 56 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: to find, with the resources to help address injustice. And 57 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: what we can do on this show, as has always been, 58 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: our aim, is to arm you with information many, including 59 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: those in power, do not want you to know. With 60 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: this in mind, to give you and our fellow listeners, 61 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: crucial information about protest, what they are, how they work, 62 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: and most importantly, the tactics used by opponents, legal and 63 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: illegal to sabotage them. So here are the facts. 64 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 5: Well, to start off with, the act of protest is 65 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 5: in fact your right as a citizen of the United States, 66 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 5: regardless of how you might personally feel about these protests 67 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 5: or protests in general. It is something that from the 68 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 5: very onset the establishment of this country in the US Constitution, 69 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 5: has been a primary guiding principle for the United. 70 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 3: States as a nation. 71 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 5: The right to protest is literally in the first Amendment 72 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 5: of the Constitution, stating the obvious here for many. But 73 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 5: imagine that lawmakers of the time, the all two imperfect 74 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 5: founding fathers, as we refer to them. You know, we're 75 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 5: sitting in that back room debating on how to create 76 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 5: a living document. And when they wrote the first part 77 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 5: of the Constitution, they likely were spitballing back and forth 78 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 5: ways to make sure that this could be adaptable to 79 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 5: changing circumstances. And when they wrote that very first Amendment, 80 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 5: they wrote these. 81 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 2: Words, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, 82 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 2: or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom 83 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 2: of speech or of the press, or the right of 84 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 2: the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government 85 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 2: for a redress of grievances. 86 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: There's definitely some dated language in there, right, and it 87 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: can be a little bit to unpack, but it's fairly direct, right, 88 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: it is fairly direct, especially for legal document. In essence, 89 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: the governments here cannot legally interfere with your religion. 90 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 4: One. 91 00:05:58,160 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: I mean, that's part of why the US is a 92 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: great place to start a religion. That's a story for 93 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: another day. It also says that Uncle Sam has to 94 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: let you and the media say what you want what 95 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: they want with a massive amount of fine print there 96 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 1: that we've covered in some other episodes. And there there's 97 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: that most important part that you hit Matt for today's show. 98 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: All people have the right to assemble peaceably or peacefully 99 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: as we would say. Now, that means this is think 100 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: about this. That means that literally, if everyone in this 101 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: country decided to drop what we're doing right now, walk 102 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: outside to the nearest parks, and we decided to sing 103 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: the entire catalog of Nickelback, then the constitution is down 104 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 1: with that ridiculous decision. And that also means that if 105 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: you wish, instead of joining some nationwide Nickelback tribute, you 106 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: can publicly press the government for change. 107 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 4: Yeah. 108 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 5: I mean, you know, certainly your fellow park attendees might 109 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 5: look at you as ants if they're not as into Nickelback. 110 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 3: As you are. 111 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 5: And there might even be some cops there that would 112 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 5: look at you funny, but they certainly wouldn't stop you 113 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 5: from doing it. I love the idea of redress of grievances. 114 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 5: That's sort of part of that dated language you were mentioning, Ben, 115 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,679 Speaker 5: But it's really simple. It's the idea of expressing change 116 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 5: that you want to see in the status quo and 117 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,119 Speaker 5: addressing it peacefully in a public setting, and the notion 118 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 5: that you should not be interfered with, as long as 119 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 5: that peacefully is the keyword there. 120 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean on paper, top notch right home, run 121 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: on paper. This is a series of rights that many, many, 122 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: many people and many other countries have historically not possessed. 123 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: And it's a series of rights that many countries do 124 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: not grant in the modern day. And that's because when 125 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: everyone in charge of enforcing these laws is in fact 126 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: obeying the laws that they are supposed to obey, this 127 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: series of rights is a profoundly powerful thing. But you know, 128 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: the old adage holds true, right, There's many a slip 129 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: TwixT the cup and the lip, and the US, again, 130 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: like many places, has a terrible abominable track record at 131 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: obeying its own laws. 132 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 2: And when a protest is, for one reason or another, 133 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 2: something that is not wanted by those in power. There 134 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 2: are emergency powers that can be deployed to do all 135 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 2: kinds of things, including right now that we're seeing, to 136 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: enforce curfews, which you know in cities across the United States, 137 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 2: there are curfews that are happening tonight, which is in 138 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 2: fact an hour earlier than it had been previously tonight. Again, 139 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:53,319 Speaker 2: as we record this in Atlanta. 140 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 5: Can I say, really really quickly, these curfews are tricky 141 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 5: in and of themselves because it's hard to know for 142 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 5: folks that are like at work. For example, like a 143 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 5: friend of mine was working at a restaurant. They're back 144 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 5: at working restaurants waiting tables, and her boss knew about 145 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 5: the curfew, but did not share that information with his employees, 146 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 5: and they are not allowed to have their phones on 147 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 5: them while they're working. So for something like a curfew 148 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 5: to be so heavily enforced, heavy handedly enforced, it's really 149 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 5: tricky when the information isn't reaching the people who need it. 150 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 5: And I've been moving, for example, while all of this 151 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 5: has been going on in Atlanta, and a couple of 152 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 5: times I didn't get the notification on my phone, and 153 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 5: luckily Ben you texted me and made sure I was 154 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 5: safe and told me what the curfew was, and I 155 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,959 Speaker 5: was about fifteen minutes away from missing it. And I've 156 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 5: been seeing, you know, a lot of stuff in the 157 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:55,199 Speaker 5: news about people very much getting into some difficult situations 158 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 5: for missing this curfew, whatever their race might be. 159 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 2: And curfews are only one of the tools within the 160 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 2: belt of the people's empower and that could be used 161 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 2: to quell protesting. And one of the major components to 162 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 2: this is that the people who are in power, who 163 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: are meant to actually enforce the laws to keep law 164 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 2: and order, they may have their own agendas. Specifically, they 165 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 2: may have an agenda that is in complete opposition to 166 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 2: the cause of the protesters. 167 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:30,959 Speaker 1: Right right, Remember, back in the days of the nineteen 168 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: sixties protests, quite a few members of law enforcement were 169 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: themselves also members of militaristic supremacist organizations, not the right 170 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: people for the job. In other words, Also, there's trickery 171 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: in the enforcement of these kind of powers or the 172 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: deployment the way they're rolled out. The first Atlanta curfew, 173 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: which was at nine PM, was announced via text at 174 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: about nine thirteen PM, and protesters were also blocked from egress, 175 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: so they were going to be subject to violating a 176 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: curfew that they were physically unable to comply with. These 177 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: exact problems are why protests matter. These situations themselves prove 178 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: why protests should remain a fundamental right in this country 179 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: and why they are so important. They are a direct 180 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: method of expression that can be used when other channels 181 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: of expression have become compromised, or when they have failed, 182 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: when they have collapsed entirely. Look back at history, protests 183 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 1: in this country led to voting rights for women. Protests 184 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: have led to policy change, to the enactment or at 185 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: least the writing of better laws, and to the repeal 186 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: of horrific ones. Protests lead to more rights for more people, 187 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: at least they have the ability to do so. And 188 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 1: if you look at the history protests in this country, 189 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: you will see that they have often been successful. I 190 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: know that's something that you know, the mainstream media doesn't 191 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: really talk about when they talk about modern protests. It's 192 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: safe to pat yourself on the back when you look 193 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: at history from a distance. 194 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 5: Well, and we'll get into this as well, but in 195 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 5: the media right now, who are clearly grappling, you know, 196 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 5: on how to cover these protests in a measured way. 197 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 5: You know, typically journalism is an opinion based so it 198 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 5: needs to lean on facts. But the idea of what 199 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 5: is a protest, what is a revolt, what is a revolution, 200 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 5: what is an uprising? These things are very much front 201 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 5: and center in this conversation around what's going on right now, 202 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 5: and very quickly a protest can become something more resembling 203 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 5: an uprising, and that does typically involve violence and destruction 204 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 5: and behavior that can be demonized by those in power 205 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 5: and used to discredit a movement. 206 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 2: The cold, hard fact is that protests, not always, but 207 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,680 Speaker 2: generally are against something that is happening within the current 208 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 2: power structure, the current system, right, the status quo that exists. 209 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: And oftentimes, when there are protests, powerful people at the 210 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 2: tops of you know, whatever food chain you're thinking of, 211 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 2: they won't want to have that change whatever it is 212 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 2: that the protester is seeking, because it would mean they 213 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 2: would have to change the system itself, would have to 214 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 2: change the things that give them, you know, power, and 215 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 2: oftentimes money would have to change. I mean, why would 216 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 2: someone who is a part of that system, you know, 217 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: necessarily want to have that done right. I mean, it's 218 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 2: kind of a tricky thing to even talk about, but 219 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,839 Speaker 2: giving away power and money and whatever that thing is, 220 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 2: those two would be the probably the highest things. That's 221 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 2: not something that happens very often. 222 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 5: Willingly no, and really quickly, just to clarify my previous comment, 223 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 5: when I was talking about the idea of an uprising 224 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 5: versus a protest, so obviously, so much of what we're 225 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 5: seeing right now is absolutely peaceful protest. But then you 226 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 5: are hearing, like I heard a woman, a black woman 227 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 5: on the radio the other day talking about how she 228 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 5: wants to just burn it all down because nothing else 229 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 5: has worked and the only way to truly enact change 230 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 5: is to mess with the power holder's money and to 231 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 5: actually do things that will that they will notice, because 232 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 5: it's easy to just brush off the idea of a 233 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 5: peaceful protest if you're one of those holders of the 234 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 5: power that actually can can affect change and you don't 235 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 5: want to relinquish that. It's when their money and their 236 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 5: property and their infrastructure is threat And this is you know, 237 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 5: I'm not trying to get off the subject here because 238 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 5: we are talking about something a little different, but that 239 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 5: is something that there is, you know, this notion that 240 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 5: peaceful protests don't always work, and some of the protests 241 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 5: you're talking about them that led to those changes did 242 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 5: ultimately turn into something more resembling a revolt or an uprising. 243 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: And while the times and the circumstances may change, the 244 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: people in power for a very very long time have 245 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: commonalities in the tactics that they use to exploit and 246 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: to exploit a movement to deep power protests and to 247 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: attempt to essentially hinder the progress of the movements. Associate 248 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: with those protests, to put them into maybe three broad categories. One, 249 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: you want to discredit a movement if you're the person 250 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: in power who feels like, as you said, Matt, you're 251 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: your status as being one of the halves is threatened. 252 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: This takes a number of roots. For example, why not 253 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: associate a movement with something negative, focus media coverage on, say, 254 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: rioters and looters or property damage rather than the message 255 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: of that movement. Also launch counter protests, whether astro turfed 256 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: or whether whipped up by discrediting movements online. All protests 257 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: now also take place online. That's important to remember and 258 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: aim those counter protesters, whether they are paid, which is 259 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: definitely a thing, or however they get there, aim them 260 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: at the existing protests. All of that happens, and honestly, 261 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: it is highly unethical, but there are very few laws 262 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: constraining the use of those tactics. And that's like that 263 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: does not even count what I what I would say, 264 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: or the other two officially known and condone tactics like 265 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: smear tactics. 266 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this is a this is a big one 267 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 2: that oftentimes isn't even known until years after because this 268 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 2: one involves well, really blackmail, specifically finding dirt on you know, 269 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 2: leaders within a movement. That is something that really does happen, 270 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 2: or you know, using connections within the media or you know, 271 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 2: just again with now with the access of social media, 272 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,920 Speaker 2: you can do it, you know, with a single person 273 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 2: and start a rumor to publicly smear or gaslight or 274 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 2: you know, like we said. 275 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 3: Blackmail some leader of a movement. 276 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 2: And we saw this with cointelpro where the government itself 277 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 2: was attempting to blackmail doctor Martin Luther King. 278 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 5: And it doesn't even take like dirt or blackmail necessarily. 279 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 5: It can be just done with rhetoric by reframing a 280 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 5: leader of a movement as of radical or as a 281 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 5: terrorist or whatever. 282 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 3: Like. 283 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 5: You know, people in power with a very big megaphone 284 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 5: and a very tall bully pulpit can just use their 285 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 5: words to reframe someone that has good intentions and has 286 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 5: a very just aim and discredit them just using words. 287 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 5: And that word gaslighting that you mentioned, I mean, that's 288 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,959 Speaker 5: what that is is when you're making people who follow 289 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 5: them think maybe they're wrong, maybe this person actually is 290 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 5: a bad person, and it makes you question your own motivations. 291 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 5: And that's a very powerful thing that people in power 292 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,360 Speaker 5: are able to do just by speaking. 293 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 2: Well, no, you're absolutely right, controlling how a protest is 294 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 2: viewed by the viewership or listenership within especially television right now, 295 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 2: we've seen it where you know, we see words like 296 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 2: protest and then also this same group of people doing 297 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 2: something described as you know, writers, same group of people 298 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 2: described as looters, and oftentimes it's not the same people 299 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 2: that are being talked about, but you know, if you 300 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 2: look on your screen, it looks the same. 301 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:11,959 Speaker 3: You know. 302 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 2: I guess just what I'm saying is that you can 303 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 2: depict the way an end user of media views a 304 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 2: group of people specifically in protest by the language you 305 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 2: use around those those images. 306 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: One of the tremendous misconceptions in the modern world today 307 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: is that there is democratization of media that is not, 308 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: in fact the case. What is collectively referred to as 309 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: the media right now has a lot in common with 310 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: a taco bell menu. I think I've made this comparison before. 311 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:47,199 Speaker 1: If you look at, you know, the menu of a 312 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,159 Speaker 1: drive through a Taco Bell. I'm just picking on them 313 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: because they're an excellent example. Then you will see what 314 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: twenty thirty different things on the menu. They all have 315 00:19:56,119 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 1: the same five to ten ingredients. These things are fingers 316 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: on a hand, and they are meant to appear separate, 317 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,479 Speaker 1: and that is very much by design. There are the 318 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: groups who control what you see and what you hear. 319 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: They are They are far fewer of them then, you know, 320 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: people would assume that that's something that makes it so 321 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: easy to do the next category, which is to co 322 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 1: opt the movement. It's the next step in controlling the narrative. 323 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: This is something that you may be hearing reports of 324 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 1: in Portland recently. Why the logic is this, and it 325 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: gets slippery and illegal very quickly. Why bother attacking a 326 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: leader when you can have an agreement with one, a backdoor, 327 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: quid pro quo scratching backs kind of deal. 328 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 2: You know. 329 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: Furthermore, why make a deal when you can simply create 330 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: a leader to make the public moves within the protest 331 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: while also furthering your agenda. Very careful when you know 332 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:04,919 Speaker 1: there's someone who who seems new to a community, an 333 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: activist community, and they have a lot of grand, very 334 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,400 Speaker 1: extreme ideas, and also have a tendency to tell you 335 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: if you're a veteran activist what this is really about. 336 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 1: The narrative shift is real. I don't want to be alarmist, 337 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 1: but it happens. You can also, again, because all of 338 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: this stuff is occurring online too, you can see the 339 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: creation of fake accounts meant to push the conversation, just 340 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 1: like in the twenty sixteen election and other movements, to 341 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: try and lead a protest in a direction that people 342 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: in power wanted to go. Russia has objectively had some 343 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: great programs with this, and they're very old, like Operation 344 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: Infection it was called in the US decades and decades 345 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: and decades ago. It is naive to think that's not 346 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: happening now. 347 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 5: But there's also a massive elephant in the room right now, 348 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 5: and it's one that's often ignored by the mainstream media 349 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 5: that we're talking about those fingers on the same hand, 350 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 5: those taco bell ingredients. But common knowledge to folks who 351 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 5: are veterans in the protest game, and that's that whenever 352 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:17,639 Speaker 5: there's a peaceful gathering of protesters, that somehow becomes violent, 353 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 5: no matter what the scale of the violence is. Again, 354 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 5: it's all about those optics and the interpretation of Okay, 355 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 5: this is now giving us the cause to push the 356 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 5: button to quell said violence. These peacekeeping forces now have 357 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:36,199 Speaker 5: a reason to pull the trigger on this idea of okay, 358 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 5: this is now no longer a peaceable assembly redressing grievances. 359 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 5: Now we are moving into go mode to quell that violence, 360 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 5: aka shut down that protest. So the big question today 361 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,360 Speaker 5: is how and why do peaceful protests in cities across 362 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 5: the entire planet, but particularly in the US so often 363 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 5: result in these kinds of incidents that involve destruction of 364 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 5: property or violence. What is there to gain from this? 365 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 5: Why is this happening? 366 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 2: And we'll talk about that right after a quick word 367 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 2: from our sponsor. 368 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: Here's where it gets crazy. The first an important point. 369 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 4: It is not. 370 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: It is not our aim to tell anyone how to protest, 371 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:39,640 Speaker 1: and it would be offensive to do so. This, however, 372 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: is again a mission to arm you with information, to 373 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: arm you with things people in power do not want 374 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: you to know. And one of the things that people 375 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,679 Speaker 1: in power do not want you to know about protests 376 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 1: is that there are numerous bad actors. There is enormous 377 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: opportunity for people on the ground to exploit, to exploit 378 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: the actual cause, the actual motivating force of a protest 379 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 1: or a movement, for their own insidious and the farius ends. 380 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:18,640 Speaker 1: This is not a conspiracy theory. This is a conspiracy. 381 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: Everything that you are going to hear in this episode 382 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 1: this point on definitely is true and it should alarm you. 383 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 1: We're talking about infiltration. Longtime listeners, you already know the 384 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 1: elephant in the room here is what is called the 385 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 1: agent provocateur. But let's get some background first. 386 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 2: Yes, and just quick background on that search term. If 387 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 2: you put in agent provocateur without some other terms, you're 388 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 2: going to get a lingerie company. 389 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 3: So just be aware of that. 390 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 2: Not very helpful when researching something like this. For some 391 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 2: of this, I kind of want to start it with 392 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 2: an article from the in New York Times that was 393 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 2: written by Jim Dwyer in two thousand and five, just 394 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 2: because it gives some much needed background here and this 395 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 2: is a fairly long quote here, but we're going to 396 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,199 Speaker 2: go with it and then we'll build off of it. 397 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 2: Here's the quote. The federal courts have long held that 398 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:22,919 Speaker 2: undercover officers can monitor political activities for a quote, legitimate 399 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 2: law enforcement purpose. While the police routinely conduct undercover operations 400 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:31,360 Speaker 2: in plainly criminal circumstances the illegal sale of weapons, for example, 401 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:36,360 Speaker 2: surveillance at political events is laden with ambiguity to retain cover. 402 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:40,159 Speaker 2: In those settings, officers might take part in public dialogue, debate, 403 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,440 Speaker 2: and demonstration at the risk of influencing others to alter 404 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 2: opinions or behavior. The authority of the police to conduct 405 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 2: surveillance of First Amendment activities has been shaped over the years, 406 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 2: not only by the law, but also by the politics 407 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 2: of the movement and the perception of public safety needs. 408 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,359 Speaker 2: In a nineteen seventy one class action lawsuit, New York 409 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 2: City acknowledged that the police department had used infiltraders, undercover agents, 410 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 2: and fake news reporters to spy on quote yippies, civil 411 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 2: rights advocates, anti war activists, labor organizers, and black power groups. 412 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,359 Speaker 5: But all that was under like the auspices of like, 413 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:20,879 Speaker 5: we just want to keep an eye on it in 414 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 5: case so that we can maintain law and order. It's 415 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,640 Speaker 5: not necessarily to shut down protests, you know, on paper, 416 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 5: it's not necessarily to discredit any of these organizations on paper. 417 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 5: The idea was, we need to be able to, you know, 418 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 5: have our finger on the pulse of what's going on 419 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 5: with these types of organizations. 420 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 2: Right, perhaps, But the important thing here is that law 421 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 2: enforcement has infiltrated these groups, perhaps prior to a protest 422 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 2: taking place. 423 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: Just like several years ago, the FBI was caught out 424 00:26:54,400 --> 00:27:00,400 Speaker 1: because they had sent people to infiltrate Muslim community here 425 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: in the United States, and these infiltrators were attempting to 426 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: radicalize people, it's called, right, attempting to say, let's let's 427 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: start building some bombs, let's start committing you know, these 428 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: felonious acts. And this disturbed the members of these communities 429 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: so much that they reported the FBI's own agents to 430 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: the FBI and said, please arrest these people. Well, it's 431 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: like entrapment, right, yes, yeah, it's very it's very close. 432 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: There will be lawyers who disagree, but I would say 433 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: it's unethical to pretend that it's not. And this is 434 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:45,920 Speaker 1: like an agent provocateur. Think of it like genre and subgenre. 435 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: An agent provocateur is a genre category of this phenomenon. 436 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 1: Not every protester is who they purport to be, as 437 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: noted in this earlier video we have which is a 438 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: little dated but still holds up in terms of tactics, and. 439 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:05,679 Speaker 2: You can find it by the way. You have to 440 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 2: search for Dirty Tricks Agent Provocateur and it's on the 441 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:13,640 Speaker 2: Old House Stuff Works YouTube channel, just so everybody knows. 442 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, these these protesters, or these people purporting to 443 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 1: be protesters, have a different underlying agenda, an ulterior motive, 444 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: and this is known as the agent provocateur. A couple 445 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,439 Speaker 1: examples someone who is not associated with a movement but 446 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: is present to incite these acts of violence to push 447 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: people there. And again, this is not the same thing 448 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: as saying the only good protest is a peaceful one 449 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: where we're just presenting the facts. This is the aim 450 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: of the agent provocateur. They're the people who for some 451 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: reason want citizens and law enforcement to clash. 452 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 3: And these these. 453 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:01,480 Speaker 1: Agent provocateur have their own categories as well. They are 454 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: not all the same. Some are ideologically motivated, they're unpaid. 455 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: They might be someone like an anarchist, which I think 456 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: is of course an umbrella term. I don't want to 457 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: paint a broad brush here, but there might be members 458 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: of some anarchist groups or factions of some anarchist groups 459 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: who say, I don't care what this protest is about, 460 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: but I do care to dismantle a system right or 461 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: to create chaos, to become an agent of chaos. You'll 462 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: also see people who are ideologically camouflaging themselves, like the 463 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: alt right Proud Boy groups you know, confirmed in the 464 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: Pacific Northwest, who participated in the recent protest with the 465 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: express cause of inciding violence. 466 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 2: And there's also an immediate example we could point to 467 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 2: that just happened god a few days ago, where an 468 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 2: unknown person holding an umbrella and wearing a gas mask 469 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 2: came up and just began smashing windows when there was 470 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:10,360 Speaker 2: a peaceful assembly occurring, and it just seemed like it 471 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 2: was for no reason. And you know, there were all 472 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 2: kinds of rumors on social media and a couple of 473 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 2: videos made of this person where he was purported, you know, 474 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 2: allegedly to be a police officer, then allegedly to be 475 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 2: an anarchist. And it's just at this point, unless you 476 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 2: guys have other knowledge, this person is unknown. But they 477 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 2: certainly they made it to where a report could go 478 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 2: out to the police then that vandalism had occurred in 479 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 2: this one specific area, which could potentially then send a 480 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 2: police force to that immediate area. 481 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: And this tactic is older than police forces. It is 482 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: much much older than you may think. It was something 483 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: that the human species figured out in ancient times. This happened, 484 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 1: you know, this is older than the the The reason 485 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: the term is French is it comes from modern undercover 486 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: operations that were instituted in France in the early eighteen hundreds. 487 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: But the reason people keep using agent provocateur tactics is 488 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: because they work. I mean, you mentioned co intel Pro earlier, Matt, 489 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: just to be specific about that. During co Intel Pro, 490 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: which has arguably never ended, maybe just changed names, the 491 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: way that Blackwater became Academy became X or whatever. During 492 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: co intel Pro's activities, FBI agents infiltrated groups, and they 493 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: infiltrated protests. They were supposed to be monitoring these things, 494 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: but they also disrupted and sabotaged them. These groups include 495 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 1: things like the ku Klux Klan, the KKK, but they 496 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 1: also include things like the American Indian Movement. They include 497 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: things like student groups that were considered dangerously left wing 498 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: by the people in power. And we know this continues 499 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: into the modern day easily. 500 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 5: Yeah. I mean, the ACLU called for an investigation of 501 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 5: possible Denver PD agents attempting to incite violence against police 502 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 5: during the two thousand and eight Democratic National Convention, and 503 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 5: someone who's a member of law enforcement or a faction 504 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:30,719 Speaker 5: of the government could absolutely be considered an agent provocateur. 505 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 5: Undercover officers are often known to use tactics to kind 506 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 5: of escalate these protests, especially in the United States. Officially, 507 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 5: they're there to maintain the peace and protect everyone involved, 508 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 5: but that absolutely changes when someone associated with the law 509 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:56,240 Speaker 5: purposefully tries to spark violence by damaging property or urging 510 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 5: peaceful protesters. To that point you made earlier ben about 511 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 5: the Muslim community trying to kind of entrap or incite. 512 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 5: I guess in trap maybe is too loaded a term. 513 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 5: Peaceful protesters to attack police or damage property. 514 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 2: And We saw an example of this in two thousand 515 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 2: and seven that's included in our video where in Canada 516 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 2: there was a pretty large peaceful protest occurring and three 517 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 2: men who were wearing all black and covering their faces, 518 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 2: and at least one of them was carrying a rock, 519 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 2: and they, you know, appeared to be acting very aggressive 520 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 2: towards police and they were called out by the peaceful protesters. 521 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 2: And you can watch videos on this right now, you 522 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 2: can check it out, and you can just see how 523 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 2: those men then crossed the police line and were it 524 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 2: looked like they were being arrested perhaps, but they were, 525 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 2: you know, just taken away to somewhere else, probably went 526 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 2: back to their post. 527 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: Who knows theatrically arrested, I would say for sure. 528 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 5: And even right now, I mean, there's obviously so much 529 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 5: information and everyone's got a camera, you know, on their phone, 530 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 5: so there's there's a flood of videos and information that's 531 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 5: out there surrounding the protests that they're going on right now. 532 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 5: But I saw a video where it was someone calling 533 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 5: out the police for damaging their own car. It's it's 534 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 5: a video where you can literally see a police SUV 535 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 5: type vehicle and a gentlemen in police uniforms standing on 536 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:29,799 Speaker 5: top of it and smashing the window themselves and and 537 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 5: damaging the car. You know, it was in the distance. 538 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 5: Perhaps it's it's easy to misconstrue what's actually going on, 539 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 5: but that certainly was the impression that the person making 540 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 5: the video had. They called them out and said, I 541 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 5: see what you're doing. I see what you're doing. 542 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:49,320 Speaker 1: One common question would be how do piles of bricks 543 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: conveniently end up on sidewalks approaching you know, approaching a 544 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: protests And you will see people claiming that it is 545 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: in fact law enforcement that's doing that. But there's another 546 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 1: question here too that we need to outline. Should be 547 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,279 Speaker 1: It may be painfully obvious, but we need to outline it. 548 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,879 Speaker 1: What is the goal here for an agent provocateur? Who 549 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: are these people who are camouflaging themselves physically and ideologically 550 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:23,279 Speaker 1: in order to perpetrate this counterintelligence, these acts of deceit. Well, 551 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: there can be more than one aim. First, the first 552 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:30,880 Speaker 1: aim is, as as you guys mentioned earlier, to somehow 553 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 1: make incredibly violent crackdowns by law enforcement seem not just 554 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 1: justified but inevitable, to make them seem to be the 555 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 1: right sort of thing to do. The police in this 556 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:51,640 Speaker 1: country are and have been heavily militarized in a process that, 557 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 1: by the way, occurred in step with massive defunding of education. 558 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna point that out. And the second goal 559 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,960 Speaker 1: would be too discredit a movement because again, like we've said, 560 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 1: we can't see it enough. Watch watch your local news. 561 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 1: And if if one thing happens that would be violent. 562 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,279 Speaker 1: If one thing happens that fits the definition of you know, 563 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 1: that which bleeds is that which leads, then that is 564 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:24,160 Speaker 1: what the media will tend to talk about. And they will, uh, 565 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: they will tend to it. Sounds like in pain with 566 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 1: a broadbrush, but there is a common prevalence here of 567 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 1: focusing on that sort of stuff, and then when that happens, 568 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 1: that is all the news cycle talks about. There's no 569 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:42,640 Speaker 1: more talk of what what the aims of the protest were, 570 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: what kind of what kind of change would the protesters 571 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: like to see? What kind of world do we want 572 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,640 Speaker 1: to live in? It's just a target get robbed. 573 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, It's a very easy way of reframing the narrative 574 00:36:55,400 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 5: and bearing the lead and changing the conversation. It's a 575 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:06,480 Speaker 5: way of hijacking that cause and turning it into demonizing 576 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:11,360 Speaker 5: the byproducts of that cause, which may very well have 577 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 5: been entirely peaceful, but then are completely reframed, Like we 578 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 5: were talking about earlier, how you can discredit a movement 579 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 5: with purely just with rhetoric and the way that you 580 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,520 Speaker 5: refer to things, and with the news cycle, and that 581 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 5: starts in positions of power and often filters down to 582 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:29,719 Speaker 5: the news organizations. 583 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 2: I would just say, I'm in a position where I've 584 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 2: been looking at a lot of archival footage of the 585 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:38,759 Speaker 2: civil rights movement in the assassination of doctor Martin Luther King, 586 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 2: and what you're talking about here, guys, is exactly what 587 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 2: you can see in the reporting that immediately follows the 588 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,439 Speaker 2: nineteen sixty eight assassination of doctor Martin Luther King, where 589 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 2: there was such anger and fear and unrest that immediately 590 00:37:55,000 --> 00:38:00,839 Speaker 2: followed that assassination that there were massive protests. There was 591 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:06,800 Speaker 2: you know, to an extent, some a bit of I 592 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 2: don't know how you describe it, just there were a 593 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 2: lot of people on the streets, and there was smashing 594 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 2: of windows and breaking into of stores that occurred. But 595 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:19,800 Speaker 2: the framing on this, you know, very dated at this point. 596 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 2: Media and mass media that was coming out and reporting 597 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:26,280 Speaker 2: about it. It's all framed on the you know quote 598 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:30,240 Speaker 2: looting and the very similar way that you're seeing today 599 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:31,480 Speaker 2: looting in riots. 600 00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:34,399 Speaker 5: Well, it's it's a way of saying, oh, if you're 601 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 5: going to behave like this, you don't deserve the change 602 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 5: that you so desperately seek, you know, because look at 603 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:44,319 Speaker 5: the way you're behaving. You know, if you really deserved 604 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:46,480 Speaker 5: this thing that you want, you would go about it 605 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 5: a different way. That's me speaking like as the voice 606 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 5: of you know, the powers that be, and that's the 607 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 5: way the conversation is attempted. 608 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:55,840 Speaker 3: To be steered. 609 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: And speaking of steering the conversation, I'm going to take 610 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,640 Speaker 1: us back to an aim of agent provocateurs that needs 611 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: to be said. Okay, and this is something that this 612 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:12,600 Speaker 1: is something that is terrifying, but it is also real 613 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 1: at least in terms of an aim, and that is 614 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: the goal of not just strengthening a rationalization for the 615 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:24,399 Speaker 1: actions of the oppositional forces, but to spark a larger conflict. 616 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about, you know, making a situation where 617 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:33,480 Speaker 1: innocent people are arrested, which agent provocateurs do I'm talking 618 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 1: about creating something that goes beyond the scope of a 619 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 1: single protest, widespread unrest and violence, a coup, a civil war. 620 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 1: There are groups. There are are groups, now you can 621 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 1: find them. Robert Evans has done some excellent reporting on 622 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:52,840 Speaker 1: this where where there are groups that are openly advocating 623 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:58,560 Speaker 1: to push things toward a civil war. I cannot recommend 624 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:01,640 Speaker 1: his podcast, it could happen enough. I do suggest you 625 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 1: check it out as soon as you have the time. 626 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,759 Speaker 1: And these are just a few examples. We have more 627 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 1: specific examples, including first party confessions that said, yes, I 628 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:14,600 Speaker 1: did this, I did this on purpose. Here's why. 629 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:15,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean. 630 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 5: In twenty eleven, The Guardian reported that a gentleman named 631 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:23,560 Speaker 5: Patrick Howley, who was the assistant editor at the American Spectator, 632 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:28,200 Speaker 5: actually admitted to having infiltrated and occupy Wall Street protest 633 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 5: that was held at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, 634 00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 5: specifically with the aim of discrediting it. And here's a 635 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 5: quote directly from the man himself. Quote, as far as 636 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,640 Speaker 5: anyone knew, I was part of this cause, a cause 637 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 5: that I had infiltrated the day before in order to 638 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 5: mock and undermine in the pages of the American Spectator. 639 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:51,880 Speaker 5: And I wasn't giving up before I had my story. 640 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you continue reading on in this article, it 641 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 2: describes how there were guards at the protest, you know, 642 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 2: officers essentially, who used pepper spray on a lot of 643 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 2: the protesters who were attempting to enter into the museum. 644 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 2: And when you look at Halley's account, you know, he 645 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,560 Speaker 2: continues on and condemns the protesters and this is what 646 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:18,160 Speaker 2: he says. Quote, he condemns their lack of nerve to 647 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:24,080 Speaker 2: confront authority, and he he himself wanted to escalate things 648 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 2: like that was kind of the point he was, was 649 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:30,680 Speaker 2: fully determined to do that, and he rushed, he rushed 650 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 2: past the security guards into the museum. And it's it's 651 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 2: crazy too if you go back and you try and 652 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 2: find his official accounting of it or the story that 653 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:43,520 Speaker 2: he wrote about it, because I was unable to find 654 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:47,080 Speaker 2: an undoctored version of it. I can only find it 655 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:49,560 Speaker 2: in this or I guess a version of it like 656 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:50,480 Speaker 2: this in the Guardian. 657 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,680 Speaker 5: And just really quickly, The American Spectator is a far 658 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:55,320 Speaker 5: right conservative publication. 659 00:41:56,280 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, your pere's the magazine, Uh so altered the story 660 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:05,800 Speaker 1: right and then pulled it, tried to pull it entirely, 661 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:10,320 Speaker 1: but it had already been reported in papers of note 662 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 1: the Washington Post, had been reported in online sources that 663 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:20,080 Speaker 1: are opposed to far right publications, places like fire Dog, Lake, 664 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:25,160 Speaker 1: Daily Coasts. We mentioned the earlier example of agent provocateur 665 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: or undercovers in New York, but there's another specific instance 666 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,880 Speaker 1: that resulted in actual criminal charges. This person was convicted, 667 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:37,000 Speaker 1: they went to prison. 668 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:37,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's true. 669 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:42,799 Speaker 5: An undercover motorcycle officer, an unnamed undercover motorcycle officer was 670 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:46,080 Speaker 5: caught on video breaking into a car window and actually 671 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:49,520 Speaker 5: assaulting the driver of a vehicle that had hit another 672 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:53,200 Speaker 5: motorcycle and in twenty fifteen he was sent to prison 673 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:58,320 Speaker 5: for second degree assault, coercion, riot, and criminal mischief. 674 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:02,920 Speaker 2: And just to continue on here, we haven't finished talking 675 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 2: about the different kinds of Asia provocateurs here. There are 676 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:09,880 Speaker 2: different versions. In one of them, Ben you already mentioned, 677 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:13,160 Speaker 2: called or a tactic at least called astroturfing. 678 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 1: Astroturfing is when something that appears to be a grassroots 679 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:23,960 Speaker 1: on the ground movement or community is in fact the 680 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:30,759 Speaker 1: creation of, often a front company or political institution that 681 00:43:31,640 --> 00:43:37,520 Speaker 1: is funneling power from the status quo into their so 682 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:42,360 Speaker 1: called protest. Again, it's camouflage. Some people who appear to 683 00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:45,600 Speaker 1: protest are paid to do so, where they're being organized 684 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:50,560 Speaker 1: by front groups that are funded by powerful corporations, powerful institutions. 685 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:54,279 Speaker 1: There's an article I quite like and recommend from the 686 00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:59,560 Speaker 1: La Times, and this tells the story of this an 687 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:01,880 Speaker 1: old one who this from twenty eighteen. It tells the 688 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:05,040 Speaker 1: story of a firm called Crowds on Demand. Have you 689 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:06,440 Speaker 1: guys heard of these people? 690 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:09,120 Speaker 3: No, Ben, I've never heard of that. What tell me 691 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:09,520 Speaker 3: about it? 692 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:15,799 Speaker 1: So Crowds on Demand is firm based or was at 693 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 1: the time, a firm based in Beverly Hills that hires protesters. 694 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:22,800 Speaker 1: Back in the day, you could go to its website 695 00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:26,320 Speaker 1: and you would see that it provides its clients quote protests, rallies, 696 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:32,160 Speaker 1: flash mobs, paparazzi events, other inventive pr stunts. We provide everything, 697 00:44:32,239 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 1: including the people, the materials, and even the ideas. But 698 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:39,359 Speaker 1: what kind of stuff have they been hired to do? 699 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 1: They're hiring actors to do things like lobby the City 700 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: Council of New Orleans on behalf of power plants, or 701 00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 1: to act like fake fans for life coaches at conferences 702 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 1: in LA. It runs the gamut. There was also someone 703 00:44:57,719 --> 00:45:01,279 Speaker 1: who you know, there was a low suit filed that 704 00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 1: said the Crowds on Demand organization does much more shady stuff. 705 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:11,360 Speaker 1: And you know, we can make this an episode of 706 00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:14,000 Speaker 1: its own, but it has to be mentioned here. 707 00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:18,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, this is an entire episode. You have 708 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:24,960 Speaker 2: probably read things online, either rumors or purported facts about 709 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:30,840 Speaker 2: various powerful people using such organizations like Crowds on Demand 710 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:35,600 Speaker 2: to get people either to political rallies or to you know, 711 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:40,160 Speaker 2: stand outside of a building in Washington, DC or something. 712 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,280 Speaker 2: You know, you undoubtedly have seen that stuff going around, 713 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:47,200 Speaker 2: and let's just say we're going to continue to look 714 00:45:47,239 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 2: into it. 715 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:51,520 Speaker 1: Again. These are facts. This is happening. This is a 716 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:55,040 Speaker 1: for people who are unconcerned with the ethics. This is 717 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 1: a good business for them to be in. They are 718 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: a kind of what is called an opportunists. The people 719 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:05,120 Speaker 1: who start at Crowds on Demand are opportunists. There's a 720 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:09,160 Speaker 1: different thing that I think will qualify as opportunists in 721 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:15,359 Speaker 1: this realm of navigating how protests work and how these 722 00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:18,279 Speaker 1: bad actors work in them bad actors. Then I guess 723 00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:21,120 Speaker 1: is a poor choice of words given crowds on demand. 724 00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:26,440 Speaker 1: But of course there are opportunists involved. When you see 725 00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 1: reports talking specifically to the people who for some reason say, 726 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:39,040 Speaker 1: you know, I don't support this cause because I see 727 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:43,120 Speaker 1: it depicted as you know, associated with acts of violence. 728 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:48,239 Speaker 1: Opportunists are real. It's part of human nature. And think 729 00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:51,360 Speaker 1: about it. If you want to rob a store, for instance, 730 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:55,320 Speaker 1: and there is a protest going on, or unrest or 731 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:59,640 Speaker 1: a riot in a neighborhood, right, what better time? What 732 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:05,040 Speaker 1: better time to strike? Law enforcement is distracted, possibly overwhelmed, 733 00:47:05,960 --> 00:47:11,040 Speaker 1: possibly in the midst of harming civilians. Typical response times 734 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:13,400 Speaker 1: are just going to be slower depending on your location. 735 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:15,400 Speaker 1: And if you want to rob a store located in 736 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:18,920 Speaker 1: the same area as a protest, you can potentially get 737 00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:20,440 Speaker 1: the power of numbers on your side. 738 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 5: Then there's a lot of videos. I don't know if 739 00:47:23,120 --> 00:47:27,040 Speaker 5: opportunitists is the right word here, but of folks that 740 00:47:27,160 --> 00:47:31,279 Speaker 5: are doing graffiti, whether it's Black Lives Matter graffiti or 741 00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 5: like you know, a cab you know, the term of 742 00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:36,080 Speaker 5: abuse for all cops or bastards and all of this 743 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:39,360 Speaker 5: kind of graffiti that we're seeing now, there's lots of 744 00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:44,840 Speaker 5: video circulating where actual peaceful protesters are walking up to 745 00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:47,560 Speaker 5: these individuals doing this and saying, why are you doing this? 746 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:50,400 Speaker 5: We didn't ask you to do this, Like people of 747 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:53,480 Speaker 5: color are walking up to you know, maybe white marchers 748 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:55,839 Speaker 5: or whatever who are doing this and say, who asked 749 00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:58,960 Speaker 5: you to do this? This is not helpful. And there's 750 00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:01,600 Speaker 5: a lot of these videosating where you know, folks are 751 00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:04,480 Speaker 5: getting in each other's faces because they're saying, oh, well, 752 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 5: I did it because I support the cause, and then 753 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:09,319 Speaker 5: they're basically saying, well, this is not helping us, this 754 00:48:09,360 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 5: is not supporting the cause. So I don't know if 755 00:48:11,360 --> 00:48:13,759 Speaker 5: you would blump those folks in as opportunitists or if 756 00:48:13,760 --> 00:48:17,480 Speaker 5: they're just maybe overstepping I don't know, but it definitely 757 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:19,920 Speaker 5: some folks just want to watch the world burn and 758 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:22,600 Speaker 5: want to get out there and cause trouble. And what 759 00:48:22,719 --> 00:48:24,520 Speaker 5: better opportunity to be able to go out there and 760 00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:28,240 Speaker 5: do that than, you know, masquerading behind a cause. 761 00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:34,000 Speaker 2: So there you have it. There are just numerous examples 762 00:48:34,160 --> 00:48:40,280 Speaker 2: of someone, some group, some individual infiltrating a peaceful protest 763 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:44,200 Speaker 2: movement for one reason or another, for varying you know, 764 00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:49,799 Speaker 2: seeking varying outcomes, for doing so. So let's say that 765 00:48:50,040 --> 00:48:53,720 Speaker 2: you find yourself in the midst of a protest, peaceful 766 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:58,240 Speaker 2: or otherwise, what do you need to do to prepare yourself. 767 00:48:58,600 --> 00:49:00,799 Speaker 2: We're going to talk about that right after a word 768 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:02,000 Speaker 2: from our sponsor. 769 00:49:08,719 --> 00:49:10,920 Speaker 1: And at the top of this section, it's important to 770 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 1: thank everybody who reached out to us or to the 771 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:21,239 Speaker 1: show to ask about this information. We're going to run 772 00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:27,120 Speaker 1: through real quick, some basic things, some basic resources for protests. Again, 773 00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:30,840 Speaker 1: this is not in any way meant to tell anyone 774 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:34,880 Speaker 1: anything about how to protest. These are safety tips that 775 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:40,280 Speaker 1: have been time tested, right, and protests are approved. Organizations 776 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:45,920 Speaker 1: like Amnesty International have these brilliant handy checklists that you 777 00:49:46,040 --> 00:49:50,600 Speaker 1: can and should consult before hitting the streets. This is 778 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:54,840 Speaker 1: not the time for improvisation. Here are a few tips. 779 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:58,759 Speaker 1: We've got a physical checklist, right, Some basic things you 780 00:49:58,880 --> 00:50:01,640 Speaker 1: should consider when testing clothing, right. 781 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:03,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, ideally you want some kind of sturdy booths, some 782 00:50:03,960 --> 00:50:05,160 Speaker 2: shoes they're in. 783 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:07,240 Speaker 3: A stand up to having to run. 784 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:10,880 Speaker 2: And also be careful not to wear you know, maybe 785 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:15,440 Speaker 2: military surplus boots that are often worn by undercovered police officers, 786 00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:17,920 Speaker 2: because you you don't want to be accused of that 787 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:18,399 Speaker 2: for sure. 788 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:20,280 Speaker 3: Sturdy pants are important. 789 00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:22,880 Speaker 2: Long sleeve top is going to be important, and something 790 00:50:22,880 --> 00:50:25,040 Speaker 2: you can use to cover your face of your head 791 00:50:25,040 --> 00:50:28,680 Speaker 2: in case tear gas or something else is released that's 792 00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:30,200 Speaker 2: going to make it difficult for you to breathe. 793 00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:33,440 Speaker 5: Yeah, and you know this is almost like it reminds 794 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:35,440 Speaker 5: me of our go bag episode. You know, these are 795 00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:38,040 Speaker 5: just very functional tips of things that maybe you wouldn't 796 00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:40,080 Speaker 5: necessarily think of, but that are going to you know, 797 00:50:40,200 --> 00:50:42,360 Speaker 5: go a long way for you. Water in a plastic 798 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,800 Speaker 5: bottle seems obvious, but a squirt top if possible, because 799 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:48,080 Speaker 5: you may be able to use that to flush out 800 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:51,760 Speaker 5: chemicals from your eyes. That's going to be really important, 801 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:55,520 Speaker 5: and that giving that stream a little more force is 802 00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:58,200 Speaker 5: going to help make that happen and flush out tear 803 00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:00,680 Speaker 5: gas potentially from your eyes, which, as it turns out, 804 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:04,799 Speaker 5: is like a powder that is that is converted into 805 00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:07,320 Speaker 5: a mist. It's not even a liquid, So it's literally 806 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:10,880 Speaker 5: like washing out you know, solids that have found their 807 00:51:10,920 --> 00:51:12,719 Speaker 5: way into your eyes. So the only way to do 808 00:51:12,760 --> 00:51:15,879 Speaker 5: that is you know, what better alternative to an eye 809 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:18,960 Speaker 5: wash station like in a science lab than a pressure, 810 00:51:19,280 --> 00:51:22,239 Speaker 5: you know, propelled stream of water from a from a 811 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 5: squirt top water bottle. And also a little additive would 812 00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:30,120 Speaker 5: be to have some baking soda on hand that you 813 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:33,160 Speaker 5: can add to that water solution three teaspoons of powder 814 00:51:33,239 --> 00:51:36,120 Speaker 5: for every eight and a half ounces of liquid. And 815 00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:38,319 Speaker 5: then you know, just stuff like snacks to keep your 816 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:41,600 Speaker 5: energy up, you know, like like a kind bar, like 817 00:51:41,600 --> 00:51:45,000 Speaker 5: like you know those what are those called cliff bars? 818 00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:48,240 Speaker 5: Things like that, anything that like is very nutrient dense 819 00:51:48,880 --> 00:51:50,000 Speaker 5: in a small package. 820 00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:54,160 Speaker 1: One quick important note about whether or not you should 821 00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:57,719 Speaker 1: bring your ID or an ID with you to a protest. 822 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:01,880 Speaker 1: The laws may vary state by state, so be sure 823 00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:05,520 Speaker 1: to check in advance before you hit the streets. We'll 824 00:52:05,560 --> 00:52:08,440 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about this in organization, but the 825 00:52:08,560 --> 00:52:12,319 Speaker 1: one I would say one crucial point to remember is 826 00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:17,400 Speaker 1: to physically write a contact number on your arm for 827 00:52:17,719 --> 00:52:22,040 Speaker 1: legal assistance. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you'll 828 00:52:22,040 --> 00:52:24,680 Speaker 1: have a phone or that you'll have your phone working, 829 00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:28,560 Speaker 1: because you may be offered a chance if you're arrested 830 00:52:28,719 --> 00:52:31,960 Speaker 1: entertained to make one phone call, and if you don't 831 00:52:32,000 --> 00:52:34,279 Speaker 1: have that number with you, you may not be able to 832 00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:35,800 Speaker 1: find it, So write it on yourself. 833 00:52:36,160 --> 00:52:39,960 Speaker 2: Definitely bring some kind of money in the United States, 834 00:52:39,960 --> 00:52:42,120 Speaker 2: it's going to be paper. You might need this for 835 00:52:42,280 --> 00:52:46,759 Speaker 2: some kind of emergency situation, transportation, food, whatever it is. 836 00:52:47,239 --> 00:52:49,840 Speaker 2: Just make sure you don't carry a bunch of cash, 837 00:52:49,960 --> 00:52:53,160 Speaker 2: because as we said, there are going to be undoubtedly 838 00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:57,480 Speaker 2: some opportunists around, or at least in a lot of cases, 839 00:52:57,520 --> 00:52:59,360 Speaker 2: there will be some who may see that as an 840 00:52:59,360 --> 00:53:01,280 Speaker 2: opportunity to take your money. 841 00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:04,960 Speaker 1: And to be clear that that term could apply to 842 00:53:05,080 --> 00:53:07,839 Speaker 1: unethical police officers or law enforcement as. 843 00:53:07,760 --> 00:53:10,960 Speaker 5: Well, speaking of which, you know, you want to have 844 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:13,160 Speaker 5: a watch, you want to have paper and a pen. 845 00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:16,160 Speaker 5: You don't want to necessarily rely on your phone. But 846 00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:18,960 Speaker 5: I also saw a really interesting point where you may 847 00:53:19,040 --> 00:53:23,600 Speaker 5: want to turn off face recognition unlocking from your phone 848 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:28,160 Speaker 5: because a bad actor law enforcement agent could just hold 849 00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:30,520 Speaker 5: it up to your face and then have access to 850 00:53:30,560 --> 00:53:35,720 Speaker 5: your entire your your entire contact list, any potential notes 851 00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:38,200 Speaker 5: that you have, you know, and could just go through 852 00:53:38,239 --> 00:53:41,840 Speaker 5: your whole life on your phone and use that information 853 00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:42,400 Speaker 5: against you. 854 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:46,120 Speaker 2: I would say perhaps a track phone would be a 855 00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:49,719 Speaker 2: good idea rather than your actual phone, because you know, 856 00:53:50,120 --> 00:53:53,520 Speaker 2: as we've talked about in previous episodes, there is tracking technology. 857 00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:55,960 Speaker 2: When there are a lot of people gathered in something 858 00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:59,560 Speaker 2: like this, especially if it's a political protest where law 859 00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:02,479 Speaker 2: enforcement of one kind or another, maybe tracking to see 860 00:54:02,480 --> 00:54:03,200 Speaker 2: who is there. 861 00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:06,640 Speaker 1: An airplane mode doesn't really make a difference, to be 862 00:54:06,680 --> 00:54:10,680 Speaker 1: honest with you. The only thing that would make a 863 00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:14,280 Speaker 1: big difference it would be physically removing the battery or 864 00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:18,640 Speaker 1: placing a phone in a faraday cage, essentially a basic 865 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:22,000 Speaker 1: first aid kid if you have room. Remember you're there 866 00:54:22,040 --> 00:54:26,800 Speaker 1: to support and help your fellow protesters and help your cause, 867 00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:32,359 Speaker 1: not there to get some kind of congratulatory selfie. Last thing, 868 00:54:32,719 --> 00:54:37,719 Speaker 1: eye protection. Don't wear contacts. These are small, very basic things. 869 00:54:37,760 --> 00:54:40,600 Speaker 1: They're there to protect you. What about an organization? 870 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:43,279 Speaker 5: Really quickly, just back to social media. I thought it 871 00:54:43,320 --> 00:54:46,680 Speaker 5: was very interesting how there was this blackout Tuesday situation 872 00:54:46,800 --> 00:54:50,080 Speaker 5: where people were posting these black squares on Instagram and 873 00:54:50,120 --> 00:54:52,880 Speaker 5: there was very quickly a backlash against that because people 874 00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:56,680 Speaker 5: were using the hashtag black lives matter, and it really 875 00:54:57,560 --> 00:55:00,840 Speaker 5: it is so important. These hashtags seems frivolous when you 876 00:55:00,880 --> 00:55:02,960 Speaker 5: think about, Oh, social media is all about, you know, 877 00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:06,160 Speaker 5: showing out and being seen and you know, kind of 878 00:55:06,160 --> 00:55:08,279 Speaker 5: lifestyle stuff. But when it comes to stuff like this, 879 00:55:08,480 --> 00:55:12,000 Speaker 5: those kinds of hashtags are how that information is organized. 880 00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:14,280 Speaker 5: So if you co opt a hashtag like black Lives 881 00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:17,640 Speaker 5: Matter for a black square, that's sort of a you know, 882 00:55:17,680 --> 00:55:19,719 Speaker 5: I don't want to call it performative, it's definitely an 883 00:55:19,760 --> 00:55:22,799 Speaker 5: act of solidarity. And I did it myself, but very 884 00:55:22,920 --> 00:55:27,120 Speaker 5: quickly people started posting, yo, don't use that hashtag because 885 00:55:27,120 --> 00:55:32,200 Speaker 5: you're erasing other people's actually valuable information that is using 886 00:55:32,239 --> 00:55:35,440 Speaker 5: that hashtag, and that's organized, you know, ways to search for, 887 00:55:35,719 --> 00:55:38,600 Speaker 5: you know, up to the minute information. So they created 888 00:55:38,640 --> 00:55:41,239 Speaker 5: a you know, a hashtag blackout Tuesday. So I just 889 00:55:41,280 --> 00:55:44,160 Speaker 5: think that's interesting how important social media is and all. 890 00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:44,760 Speaker 3: Of this kind of stuff. 891 00:55:45,600 --> 00:55:49,640 Speaker 1: Another another important basic thing to be aware of is organization. 892 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:51,600 Speaker 1: You know, as you said at the top of this, 893 00:55:52,200 --> 00:55:55,080 Speaker 1: it's not the time for improvisation. When you set off, 894 00:55:55,440 --> 00:55:59,200 Speaker 1: have a timetable, have people who are not at the 895 00:55:59,239 --> 00:56:05,080 Speaker 1: protest aware of your location and where you plan to 896 00:56:05,200 --> 00:56:11,000 Speaker 1: be afterwards. You can also have accountability with your groups 897 00:56:11,040 --> 00:56:13,920 Speaker 1: that you go with. Have a meeting spot that is 898 00:56:14,080 --> 00:56:16,560 Speaker 1: outside where you think the protest will be, so you 899 00:56:16,600 --> 00:56:21,200 Speaker 1: can confirm everyone's safety, and so you can have a destination. 900 00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:21,200 Speaker 3: And a plan. 901 00:56:22,040 --> 00:56:26,200 Speaker 2: Situational awareness that a protest is highly important. We would 902 00:56:26,200 --> 00:56:29,279 Speaker 2: recommend avoiding drugs or alcohol or anything else that's going 903 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:32,520 Speaker 2: to impair you know, your judgment or reaction time, and 904 00:56:32,880 --> 00:56:35,200 Speaker 2: you always have to be able to react to that 905 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:40,600 Speaker 2: danger immediately and you know, not be held back by 906 00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:42,479 Speaker 2: whatever substance you're doing. 907 00:56:42,920 --> 00:56:46,000 Speaker 5: Not to mention, you don't want to have some contraband 908 00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:48,480 Speaker 5: on you that can be also used against you if 909 00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:51,759 Speaker 5: you are searched and then that gives you know, law 910 00:56:51,840 --> 00:56:54,040 Speaker 5: enforcement a reason to lock you up. 911 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:57,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, print out or obtain what's called a bust card. 912 00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:02,560 Speaker 1: This is think of like it's like a very small, 913 00:57:02,640 --> 00:57:05,120 Speaker 1: easy to carry piece of paper that bullet points out 914 00:57:05,160 --> 00:57:10,680 Speaker 1: your legal rights, some does and don't contact numbers. You know, 915 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:14,320 Speaker 1: you can find many examples of this from different countries 916 00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:17,920 Speaker 1: and it's a handy thing to have. Of course, you know, 917 00:57:17,960 --> 00:57:19,360 Speaker 1: the question there is who has a printer? 918 00:57:19,680 --> 00:57:19,880 Speaker 3: Right? 919 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:22,560 Speaker 1: You may be in a situation where you find people 920 00:57:22,640 --> 00:57:24,720 Speaker 1: who are distributing these for. 921 00:57:24,520 --> 00:57:27,480 Speaker 2: Free, and lastly, just at all times to be ready 922 00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:30,040 Speaker 2: to you know, help out someone who's next to you 923 00:57:30,080 --> 00:57:33,840 Speaker 2: who is protesting. You can provide support for people in 924 00:57:33,920 --> 00:57:36,520 Speaker 2: all sorts of different ways, you know, especially if there's 925 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:40,400 Speaker 2: somebody who you know is getting tired, who has some 926 00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:44,160 Speaker 2: kind of medical condition, who is dehydrated, or has been 927 00:57:44,200 --> 00:57:48,520 Speaker 2: injured for one reason or another. Just remember to you know, 928 00:57:48,600 --> 00:57:51,720 Speaker 2: be there for everyone, and also to not not let 929 00:57:51,840 --> 00:57:53,840 Speaker 2: bad actors go unnoticed. 930 00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:58,880 Speaker 1: Let's talk about something equally important, which is maybe even 931 00:57:58,880 --> 00:58:01,880 Speaker 1: more important, which is what not to do. So in 932 00:58:01,920 --> 00:58:03,919 Speaker 1: some of our conversation, you know, it's obvious that people 933 00:58:03,960 --> 00:58:07,640 Speaker 1: have different opinions and everybody has the same specific answers, 934 00:58:08,480 --> 00:58:12,120 Speaker 1: but these things are pretty solid first, and I think 935 00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:14,360 Speaker 1: this answers a lot of questions people have about what 936 00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:17,800 Speaker 1: they should or shouldn't bring. Don't carry things that you 937 00:58:17,800 --> 00:58:21,720 Speaker 1: cannot afford to lose. Do not assume everyone is there 938 00:58:21,840 --> 00:58:23,080 Speaker 1: for the same reason as you. 939 00:58:23,560 --> 00:58:25,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think we've more than covered. That's sort of 940 00:58:25,800 --> 00:58:28,120 Speaker 5: the whole point of this episode is that there are 941 00:58:28,480 --> 00:58:32,280 Speaker 5: many reasons, many agendas that might lead people to come 942 00:58:32,320 --> 00:58:34,720 Speaker 5: to these types of events, and a lot of them 943 00:58:34,840 --> 00:58:37,920 Speaker 5: are not in your best interests. People are not aligned 944 00:58:38,640 --> 00:58:41,880 Speaker 5: with what you are there for a lot of the time, 945 00:58:42,280 --> 00:58:45,120 Speaker 5: So just never assume, and don't wear things that can 946 00:58:45,160 --> 00:58:48,360 Speaker 5: easily be grabbed. You know, you might want to put 947 00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:51,000 Speaker 5: your hair up in a tight bun rather than wearing it. 948 00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:53,880 Speaker 5: And pigtails or a ponytail, or something that can be 949 00:58:54,480 --> 00:58:57,480 Speaker 5: used to drag you to the ground, for example, or 950 00:58:57,960 --> 00:59:01,000 Speaker 5: you know pieces of clothing that are very baggy that 951 00:59:01,080 --> 00:59:03,680 Speaker 5: could be grabbed as well. That would be something that 952 00:59:03,680 --> 00:59:04,560 Speaker 5: you would want to avoid. 953 00:59:05,080 --> 00:59:06,680 Speaker 2: And there are a lot of things you could put 954 00:59:06,720 --> 00:59:10,240 Speaker 2: on your body. A lot of them are moisturizers or 955 00:59:10,320 --> 00:59:13,360 Speaker 2: would be used as some kind of moisturizer, sometimes sunscreen, 956 00:59:13,880 --> 00:59:17,880 Speaker 2: mineral oils or vazolines. These things can actually trap some 957 00:59:17,960 --> 00:59:20,280 Speaker 2: of the chemicals that may be sprayed in your direction 958 00:59:20,480 --> 00:59:23,360 Speaker 2: or released and hit you and it will stick to 959 00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:28,400 Speaker 2: your skin and you know it will essentially amplify the effects. 960 00:59:29,120 --> 00:59:31,040 Speaker 3: So do not don't do that. 961 00:59:31,960 --> 00:59:35,760 Speaker 1: And this is difficult, but do your best to think critically. 962 00:59:36,000 --> 00:59:41,560 Speaker 1: Be aware that misinformation as well as active disinformation. Misinformation 963 00:59:41,640 --> 00:59:44,640 Speaker 1: is kind of something that's accidentally not true. Disinformation is 964 00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:46,960 Speaker 1: something that's purposely not true. That's the best way to 965 00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:51,240 Speaker 1: remember it. Both of these can proliferate at an extremely 966 00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:56,200 Speaker 1: quick rate, especially when we see lines of traditional normal 967 00:59:56,240 --> 01:00:02,080 Speaker 1: communication breaking down. And last, do not go alone if 968 01:00:02,120 --> 01:00:02,720 Speaker 1: you can help it. 969 01:00:03,240 --> 01:00:06,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, I would say that's pretty important at the very 970 01:00:06,320 --> 01:00:08,840 Speaker 5: least if you have to go alone, make sure someone's 971 01:00:08,840 --> 01:00:11,439 Speaker 5: got your back remotely and that they know where you are, 972 01:00:12,080 --> 01:00:15,160 Speaker 5: and that you can reach somebody to let them know 973 01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:17,160 Speaker 5: if things go south. 974 01:00:17,680 --> 01:00:24,040 Speaker 1: We hope this information is helpful. Again, there are more resources, 975 01:00:24,960 --> 01:00:28,120 Speaker 1: many many organizations that have these bus cards, that have 976 01:00:28,200 --> 01:00:31,920 Speaker 1: these checklists, that have recommendations dos and don't please do 977 01:00:32,400 --> 01:00:37,920 Speaker 1: look into these. And again, there is one main takeaway 978 01:00:38,560 --> 01:00:43,880 Speaker 1: from this episode. The conspiracy to discredit and to escalate 979 01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:48,520 Speaker 1: protests counter to the aims of a protest are real. 980 01:00:48,800 --> 01:00:52,680 Speaker 1: This stuff does happen. Agent provocateurs do exist. They're not 981 01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:57,000 Speaker 1: some sort of mythical beast. The real ones can operate 982 01:00:57,080 --> 01:00:59,120 Speaker 1: successfully and they can get away with. 983 01:00:59,040 --> 01:01:01,520 Speaker 5: It and just really quick to sew up a couple 984 01:01:01,520 --> 01:01:03,800 Speaker 5: of things that we sort of foreshadowed, like you know 985 01:01:03,840 --> 01:01:07,000 Speaker 5: there Again, there's a lot of information moving very quickly, 986 01:01:07,160 --> 01:01:10,920 Speaker 5: especially right now as things have escalated with our situation 987 01:01:11,000 --> 01:01:15,000 Speaker 5: in the United States. But the notion of you know, 988 01:01:15,160 --> 01:01:20,280 Speaker 5: things like piles of bricks showing up and old model 989 01:01:20,320 --> 01:01:24,120 Speaker 5: police cars being put out like as bait or something, 990 01:01:24,360 --> 01:01:27,840 Speaker 5: a lot of that has been largely discredited. That's not 991 01:01:27,880 --> 01:01:30,120 Speaker 5: to say that it's not possible that these things are 992 01:01:30,320 --> 01:01:35,200 Speaker 5: are real. And it's also a slippery slope when you 993 01:01:35,240 --> 01:01:41,640 Speaker 5: talk about blaming a movement or a protest on external 994 01:01:41,680 --> 01:01:46,520 Speaker 5: forces that are not you know, germane to that outcry 995 01:01:46,680 --> 01:01:50,040 Speaker 5: that surrounds that particular protest. It's a way of like 996 01:01:50,120 --> 01:01:53,160 Speaker 5: kind of like neutering, you know, the power of that 997 01:01:53,240 --> 01:01:56,320 Speaker 5: movement by saying, oh, it's actually being caused, not by 998 01:01:56,440 --> 01:01:58,840 Speaker 5: the real reason that it's being caused, but by something else. 999 01:01:59,080 --> 01:02:01,120 Speaker 5: And I think we've done a good job today of 1000 01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:04,000 Speaker 5: differentiating those things, but I just want to make you know, 1001 01:02:04,040 --> 01:02:05,800 Speaker 5: make sure that that that's clear. 1002 01:02:06,840 --> 01:02:10,760 Speaker 2: And we have to absolutely remember that when we are 1003 01:02:10,960 --> 01:02:14,720 Speaker 2: on social media, whatever platform you use, you have to 1004 01:02:14,720 --> 01:02:18,920 Speaker 2: be extremely vigilant when analyzing and sharing stuff. Whatever the 1005 01:02:18,960 --> 01:02:21,520 Speaker 2: post is, no matter how much you agree with it, 1006 01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:24,440 Speaker 2: you just have to be careful and really analyze it. 1007 01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:26,800 Speaker 2: Because there have been, as you said, there, you know, 1008 01:02:27,120 --> 01:02:29,720 Speaker 2: a lot of false reports that have come out essentially 1009 01:02:29,760 --> 01:02:33,880 Speaker 2: as rumors that have just spread across social media. And 1010 01:02:34,120 --> 01:02:38,120 Speaker 2: you know, we kind of you mentioned the bricks. There 1011 01:02:38,160 --> 01:02:41,560 Speaker 2: have been several examples posted out there that have been 1012 01:02:41,760 --> 01:02:46,040 Speaker 2: proven to not have anything to do with you know, 1013 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:50,440 Speaker 2: purposeful planting for uses with protesters or during the protests 1014 01:02:50,440 --> 01:02:51,360 Speaker 2: to escalate things. 1015 01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:52,720 Speaker 3: You know. 1016 01:02:52,920 --> 01:02:55,040 Speaker 2: I made a note here just to call to call 1017 01:02:55,040 --> 01:02:57,560 Speaker 2: out the one that occurred in Sherman Oaks, California, where 1018 01:02:57,560 --> 01:02:59,280 Speaker 2: there were these metal. 1019 01:02:58,760 --> 01:03:00,000 Speaker 3: Enclosures filled with stone. 1020 01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:03,840 Speaker 2: Ohones, and BuzzFeed News and some other people did some 1021 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:06,200 Speaker 2: you know, looking into this and found out that this 1022 01:03:06,360 --> 01:03:09,760 Speaker 2: was actually a security or these were security structures for 1023 01:03:10,240 --> 01:03:13,480 Speaker 2: a Jewish community building in Sherman Oaks, California, and they'd 1024 01:03:13,520 --> 01:03:16,360 Speaker 2: been installed like a year ago, prior to the protests. 1025 01:03:16,920 --> 01:03:21,480 Speaker 2: But that doesn't mean that every instance where bricks have 1026 01:03:21,560 --> 01:03:25,320 Speaker 2: been found or some kind of projectile, heavy projectiles have 1027 01:03:25,440 --> 01:03:27,880 Speaker 2: been found stashed near a protest area doesn't mean that 1028 01:03:27,920 --> 01:03:30,920 Speaker 2: every one of those is just an innocuous thing. It 1029 01:03:30,960 --> 01:03:33,840 Speaker 2: means you have to analyze each one of them individually. 1030 01:03:34,200 --> 01:03:39,520 Speaker 1: Yea, especially because, as I said earlier, protests nowadays occur 1031 01:03:39,720 --> 01:03:44,040 Speaker 1: in digital space. Please please please check out the earlier 1032 01:03:44,120 --> 01:03:48,760 Speaker 1: work on the proliferation of bots. Russian and non Russian alike. 1033 01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:53,120 Speaker 1: Foreign and domestic forces are gaming the system, They're muddying 1034 01:03:53,160 --> 01:03:57,280 Speaker 1: the waters, they're altering the narrative with great success in 1035 01:03:57,320 --> 01:04:00,040 Speaker 1: the past and the president is no different, and the 1036 01:04:00,080 --> 01:04:04,080 Speaker 1: future probably won't be either. I have a lighthearted example 1037 01:04:04,120 --> 01:04:09,080 Speaker 1: of this. My favorite current example of this phenomenon is 1038 01:04:09,160 --> 01:04:13,880 Speaker 1: the K pop fans online who are flooding far right 1039 01:04:13,920 --> 01:04:19,720 Speaker 1: wing hashtags with some of their favorite Korean pop. That is, 1040 01:04:21,400 --> 01:04:25,480 Speaker 1: it is fantastic to see. I recommend checking that out 1041 01:04:25,520 --> 01:04:27,840 Speaker 1: if you want a little bit of a pick me 1042 01:04:27,960 --> 01:04:32,280 Speaker 1: up in these these incredibly terrible times. I mean, this 1043 01:04:32,400 --> 01:04:36,840 Speaker 1: is these last few months have been the longest year ever. 1044 01:04:38,080 --> 01:04:39,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, it really has been. 1045 01:04:39,440 --> 01:04:42,480 Speaker 2: Whoever controls this whole timeline thing that we're living in 1046 01:04:42,520 --> 01:04:44,880 Speaker 2: this multiverse is really piling on right. 1047 01:04:44,680 --> 01:04:48,400 Speaker 5: Now, cut it out, whoever you are, Geez Louise. 1048 01:04:49,320 --> 01:04:49,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1049 01:04:49,680 --> 01:04:51,880 Speaker 5: And then just to just you know, for a final note, 1050 01:04:52,120 --> 01:04:53,600 Speaker 5: and this is something that I have a lot of 1051 01:04:53,640 --> 01:04:55,680 Speaker 5: questions around because again we were talking about, like with 1052 01:04:55,720 --> 01:04:59,240 Speaker 5: social media, so much information is able to be kind 1053 01:04:59,280 --> 01:05:03,640 Speaker 5: of hijacked and used in a way that's it's very shareable. 1054 01:05:04,160 --> 01:05:07,920 Speaker 5: Therefore it is proliferated, but it could absolutely and often 1055 01:05:08,080 --> 01:05:12,600 Speaker 5: is misinformation. But one final example is, you know a 1056 01:05:12,600 --> 01:05:16,120 Speaker 5: lot of rumors going around, you know, on on social 1057 01:05:16,200 --> 01:05:21,120 Speaker 5: media about groups such as what's referred to collectively as 1058 01:05:21,160 --> 01:05:25,600 Speaker 5: antifa going out to suburban areas or rural areas to 1059 01:05:25,680 --> 01:05:27,440 Speaker 5: carry out acts of violence. And I just want to 1060 01:05:27,440 --> 01:05:30,680 Speaker 5: take this opportunity to clarify something that I've personally been 1061 01:05:30,720 --> 01:05:33,200 Speaker 5: a little in the dark about. The notion of antifha 1062 01:05:33,480 --> 01:05:36,760 Speaker 5: I understand to mean anti fascist, which sounds like a 1063 01:05:36,800 --> 01:05:40,840 Speaker 5: positive thing to me, being anti fascist, but it's been 1064 01:05:41,160 --> 01:05:44,600 Speaker 5: kind of commodified as a term of abuse and almost 1065 01:05:44,960 --> 01:05:47,360 Speaker 5: taken on the tone of like, this is a terrorist group, 1066 01:05:47,640 --> 01:05:51,600 Speaker 5: the antifa. But my understanding is that no such group 1067 01:05:51,840 --> 01:05:56,640 Speaker 5: per se exists. It's not a moniker that is associated 1068 01:05:56,680 --> 01:06:00,320 Speaker 5: with like a particular you know, mission, statement or group 1069 01:06:00,360 --> 01:06:04,880 Speaker 5: of people. It's just kind of the amorphous collective. So 1070 01:06:05,120 --> 01:06:07,240 Speaker 5: can you just talk a little bit about what antifa 1071 01:06:07,440 --> 01:06:09,800 Speaker 5: means and how it's being used, just to give folks 1072 01:06:09,840 --> 01:06:10,840 Speaker 5: a little perspective on that. 1073 01:06:11,400 --> 01:06:16,040 Speaker 2: I would, you know, with having limited understanding of this, 1074 01:06:16,120 --> 01:06:18,600 Speaker 2: I would just say that it's been used in the 1075 01:06:18,640 --> 01:06:22,240 Speaker 2: media recently, and you know, in the past couple decades 1076 01:06:22,760 --> 01:06:28,600 Speaker 2: to really represent any number of smaller groups that would 1077 01:06:28,640 --> 01:06:33,640 Speaker 2: consider themselves perhaps anarchists or or people who are against 1078 01:06:33,840 --> 01:06:37,440 Speaker 2: the the status quo systems that are set up and 1079 01:06:37,640 --> 01:06:41,400 Speaker 2: just wish to see change there. But you know, it 1080 01:06:41,440 --> 01:06:45,240 Speaker 2: really depends on which organization is reporting at the time 1081 01:06:45,640 --> 01:06:47,400 Speaker 2: or who's talking about them. 1082 01:06:47,640 --> 01:06:51,840 Speaker 1: I believe that I may have mentioned this earlier. The 1083 01:06:51,880 --> 01:06:56,640 Speaker 1: phrase has a lot in common with the phrase anonymous, 1084 01:06:56,720 --> 01:06:59,360 Speaker 1: an earlier activist group that has recently been back in 1085 01:06:59,400 --> 01:07:03,480 Speaker 1: the news. The Achilles heel of this kind of grouping 1086 01:07:03,800 --> 01:07:09,280 Speaker 1: is that there is obviously no official certification to be 1087 01:07:09,360 --> 01:07:13,400 Speaker 1: an anti fascist group, and the key is there is 1088 01:07:13,440 --> 01:07:18,880 Speaker 1: also no official certification to claim oneself a member of anonymous. 1089 01:07:19,440 --> 01:07:24,160 Speaker 1: I will say, if you want to dehumanize or vilify, 1090 01:07:24,360 --> 01:07:27,200 Speaker 1: or you know, use a thought terminating cliche to get 1091 01:07:27,200 --> 01:07:31,880 Speaker 1: past people's critical thinking faculties, then of course you make 1092 01:07:31,920 --> 01:07:34,320 Speaker 1: a term. You make a term that is pretty short, 1093 01:07:34,680 --> 01:07:38,640 Speaker 1: it's easy to understand, and that itself, while being a portmanteau, 1094 01:07:39,040 --> 01:07:42,480 Speaker 1: is not you know, an existing word, or you change 1095 01:07:42,480 --> 01:07:46,520 Speaker 1: it right, And this is a tactic that's employed often. 1096 01:07:47,200 --> 01:07:50,160 Speaker 1: I would like to I would like to note several 1097 01:07:50,200 --> 01:07:53,280 Speaker 1: things that we have not covered in this episode. We've 1098 01:07:53,320 --> 01:07:58,560 Speaker 1: not covered antifa. I think the anti fascism organization, the 1099 01:07:58,560 --> 01:08:02,240 Speaker 1: evolution of that term, deserves its own episode, as do 1100 01:08:02,880 --> 01:08:09,560 Speaker 1: specific instances of people attempting to capitalize on a movement 1101 01:08:09,640 --> 01:08:13,160 Speaker 1: or protest for their own ends. Splinter groups, you know, 1102 01:08:13,280 --> 01:08:16,080 Speaker 1: militia are in there. There are a lot of Internet 1103 01:08:16,120 --> 01:08:19,719 Speaker 1: warriors who are talking on a forum and a certain 1104 01:08:19,760 --> 01:08:25,040 Speaker 1: amount of them are going into protests to attempt to 1105 01:08:25,080 --> 01:08:28,000 Speaker 1: push their agenda. These are things that we have to 1106 01:08:28,040 --> 01:08:30,320 Speaker 1: cover in a future episode and we need your help. 1107 01:08:30,840 --> 01:08:33,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, so let us know what you think. You can 1108 01:08:33,240 --> 01:08:37,879 Speaker 5: write to us online in the various social media spots 1109 01:08:38,160 --> 01:08:41,760 Speaker 5: we are Conspiracy stuff or conspiracy Stuff show on the 1110 01:08:41,840 --> 01:08:45,960 Speaker 5: usual platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and you can also join 1111 01:08:46,080 --> 01:08:49,880 Speaker 5: our Facebook group. Here's where it gets crazy, where there's 1112 01:08:49,920 --> 01:08:52,360 Speaker 5: a lot of real time conversation that goes on around 1113 01:08:52,479 --> 01:08:54,120 Speaker 5: every episode we do and beyond. 1114 01:08:54,560 --> 01:08:56,679 Speaker 2: You can give us a phone call if you haven't 1115 01:08:56,680 --> 01:08:59,320 Speaker 2: had your phone with you. Our number is one eight 1116 01:08:59,479 --> 01:09:05,320 Speaker 2: three std WYTK. We would encourage you to call us 1117 01:09:05,320 --> 01:09:09,320 Speaker 2: if possible, to either report on something you're seeing, no 1118 01:09:09,320 --> 01:09:11,680 Speaker 2: matter where you are and what you're doing, or to 1119 01:09:11,760 --> 01:09:13,680 Speaker 2: just give us an idea for an episode, or just 1120 01:09:13,760 --> 01:09:16,720 Speaker 2: tell us tell us what you think about all of 1121 01:09:16,720 --> 01:09:18,760 Speaker 2: this stuff. And if you don't want to do any 1122 01:09:18,800 --> 01:09:20,640 Speaker 2: of that stuff, but you still want to contact us, 1123 01:09:20,680 --> 01:09:23,160 Speaker 2: you can always send us a good old fashioned email. 1124 01:09:23,320 --> 01:09:45,400 Speaker 1: We are conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot com. 1125 01:09:45,560 --> 01:09:47,599 Speaker 2: Stuff they don't want you to know. Is a production 1126 01:09:47,720 --> 01:09:52,280 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 1127 01:09:52,360 --> 01:09:55,960 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.