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TACTICS FOR DEALING WITH THE MEDIA

Jordan Thornton | 13.01.2002 17:17

I had originally posted this to the main IMC site, but thought I should repost, so all could see. This is my first time to IMC UK. Nice to see. Peace and solidarity to all.

I am a Canadian who works (for now) in the mainstream media, and get frustrated every time I see a protest covered. Yes, the media does take steps to ignore what is being said, and bias reports about rallies. These orders come straight from the top.
However, more often, the bias is unintentional, and there are things you can do to counteract this:

In the weeks (or months) leading up to the protests, call the GM or News Director of local TV stations, and ask to be interviewed. If they accept, great. Now, show up with something to say, and the FACTS to back up those words.

If denied, thank them anyway, then call all your friends, and hold a NOISY rally in front of the station. Call the station's competitors, and when their cameras arrive (and they will) talk to them.

At the protest itself, SEEK OUT THE CAMERAS. If you see a reporter, go talk to him or her. It is your job to spread the message. They are looking for the easy story. You must make your views easily-accessible to them. Befriend them. They're just people like you and I. Ask their opinions. I guarantee a lot of them have never even considered the bigger question. Find a way to get through.

Insist that they get a wide-shot of the crowd. The camera lens can be very narrow. It's one thing to say "a hundred thousand people", and quite another to show it.

CARRY FLAGS, not for the country that is, but for the country that should be, the one you were PROMISED.

If the cops rush you, cover up in the flag. What a different picture it would make, if the police had to beat and arrest people through the flag.

You must learn to use the media. We are playing a game with rules the enemy has devised. We must find ways to bend these rules.

If the cops walk in formation, beating on their shields, know that this is a tactic of intimidation. Stand strong, together, and beat in unison with them. Demonstrate your resolve to all those cameras. Start singing and dancing to the beat of the shields. Deflate the situation by turning it around. Take their power away.

In retreat, never run away. This makes us look weak. Bite your tongue against the searing pain of the teargas, ignore the trembling of your hands, and walk calmly away.

** We need A LINE OF DISCIPLINED ACTIVISTS, between the police and those who would resort to violence. A line that will not be moved. Tell the police that you will return the degree of respect given to you. Nothing more, nothing less. **

"If it bleeds, it leads" is a very real concept. Be Ghandi for a day. Be proactive in preventing violence. Explain to those who want to fight, that their energy would be put to better use in some other capacity. Lord knows, I understand the anger and frustration they feel, but violence hurts our cause. The message gets lost.

Act as if your every action is watched, because it is. Make your core beliefs the impetus for your every word and deed.

We must not scare the People. This only hardens them against us. Violence is what the fat men in suits desire. Don't let them win.

TALK to the People, the bystanders, the gawkers. Ask them if they enjoy the world created by an unchallenged Elite. Ask them if this is the world they wish to leave for their children. Make it personal, because it is.

I used to be a graffiti artist, and know the power the artform possesses. I've seen people paint things such as "Capitalism makes us slaves" at protests, that made it to air. These images are very powerful. Give those that want to destroy property a spraycan. Leave something for the people to read after the protest is over.

There are detractors, who say "make the mainstream irrlelvant". I couldn't agree more with the sentiment. But until that happens, it is relevant. You must understand the power of the media, and learn how to manipulate it as well as the fat men in suits.

And remember, that you are the Majority, and you are right. There are millions upon millions who support you.

I realize that changing the world is a daunting task, but our numbers and our strength grow every day. If we all chip away at it long enough, eventually the Wall will come tumbling down, brick by evil brick.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Ghandi

Truth is on our side. We cannot fail, unless we fail to act.

"No matter how far you've travelled down the wrong road, turn back." - Turkish proverb

To a better world?

P E A C E . . .

Jordan Thornton
- e-mail: pilgrim112@hotmail.com

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Some nice stuff but

13.01.2002 17:52

I don't know what it's like it Canada but carrying to Union Jack to demonstrations might give the wrong message and make it easier for the media to label us and/or call us hypocrites.

Gonzo


What about a Welsh flag then?

13.01.2002 18:22


I've never yet seen a crappy Union Jack on a demo, but I've seen plenty of Basque, Breton, Irish etc flags. For my part I'm happy to take my Welsh, and I've seen other people with Welsh and Scottish flags before too. Smaller countries have more to gain than oversized states from the destruction of capitalism...

Jim
mail e-mail: serengoch@hotmail.com


My flag, my race.

13.01.2002 19:42

My flag is red and black, my race is the international working class. I wouldn't wipe my arse on a union jack.

B.S.


oh wise one

13.01.2002 20:00

>Violence is what the fat men in suits desire
I'm so sick of hearing people say violence is what makes us heard. I have never seen a more futile, pointless act of stupidity than a person throwing a rock at a fully kitted out riot cop. Every stone thrown gives them more license to use heavier artillery. Expect far more live rounds at future protests.
Tute Bianche realised this. I saw one of their number throw a stone through a random window during a calm moment in between clashes with genova cops. Another Tute shouted "No! No!" while shaking his hands in the air, and went over to the stone thrower, obviously his friend, but started to beat him, fists flying everywhere. Others stepped in calmed them down, but the message was clear; random violence is for fools.

>We need A LINE OF DISCIPLINED ACTIVISTS, between the
>police and those who would resort to violence

people to act as stewards; people with handcuffs, who will go over to potential troublemakers and demobilise them? Are handcuffs legal to carry and use? It could be done on a group by group basis, eg., peaceful group A brings 1 steward per 30 protestors and chains any agressive people to lamposts. Or maybe just use plastic tie-wraps. Violent group B won't agree with stewarding, gets violent somewhere else and gets bashed by cops, assuming A and B don't mix. Groups with stewards agree to non-violence etc., so any police infiltrators can be immediately weeded out; as soon as they throw a stone, stewards tie them down. Fuck it, give the stewards those radio earpieces and call them security.
Police can be contacted beforehand, and told about the stewards, of course this won't alter police tactics, but it will count *in court* afterwards if stewards are arrested.

oh yeh and the media stuff very helpful, I keep forgetting corporate media is composed of real people and not forked-tongued lizards with acid for blood.

rowan


Irony?

14.01.2002 02:00

I certainly hope I'm missing the joke.

Be Ghandi for the day? I learnt that lesson when I ended up with a bloody face after not only having a go at one of my fellow protesters who was throwing stuff at the riot cops but I actually was dumb enough later on to think sitting down in front of them would be a good idea...

All I got was a minor emotional breakdown and a belated political awakening. I achieved NOTHING! If I'd helped with the confrontation we might have been able to hold back the cops a bit longer. Felt empowered, strong and freed from our selfimposed chains to step outside the society defined right and wrong boxes to actually challenge the system, both that day and every day.

The cops are not our friends. They are not there to facilitate us, but to divert our energy. It is not property damage or confronting the cops that is the capitalists wet dream, but our infighting. You endanger yourselves with your glorification of martyrdom. I'm not here to make pretty pictures for the papers but to change the world. Not to look like some priviledged rich kid who's never been on the sharp end.

I don't want to look non-threatening - I want to smash the fucking state! The state that is killing millions of people around the world! That is digging up green spaces. That is polluting the oceans. That is torturing animals. That is tricking us all into believing we have to play by its rules.

"If voting ever changed anything they'd make it illegal" ... well you know voting and nice, organised demonstrations have a lot in common in conning us that we live in a democratic place and let off a bit of steam now and again.

Do your pacifist, or actively non-violent, or whatever hippy trip thing you want. But don't you dare presume to tell me what to do, or what "our" message is.

And tute bianche are fucked up authoritarians (sorry they're prob not that bad but I'm a bit worked up right now for lots of reasons) but in london the wombles would NEVER tell someone to stop their property damage. Much less physically attack them!! We'd do as much as we can (which is pathetically little at the moment) to defend them.

Until All Are Free!

ginger


Thugs, get the point..........

14.01.2002 10:06

Anyone who still thinks violence is the way forward is startlingly ignorant. How are you intending to protect yourself from bullets? How do you respond to peaceful demonstrators who have been shot because your selfish actions have forced the Police to guard themselves with Guns?
There are kids making up large proportions of the crowds at Demos these days. You think they want to get shot? Eager, overexcited kids showing their stuff, having caps popped in them by scared coppers who's experience tells them this dredded hippy heading towards him wants him dead rather than give him a hug!

Paxman


reply to paxman

14.01.2002 12:54

> Anyone who still thinks violence is the way forward is
> startlingly ignorant. How are you intending to protect
> yourself from bullets? How do you respond to peaceful
> demonstrators who have been shot because your selfish
> actions have forced the Police to guard themselves with
> Guns?

There are two choices : we are doing something that is confrontational or we are not. In order to stop a summit we will be directly confronting the police who's remit is to keep the summit protected at all costs.

I have been involved with other confrontational tactics - wombling up for example. Or locking on. Both involve using my western priviledge of not being considered disposable (28+ killed in Argentinian anti IMF protests in the past month ...) and putting my body into the firing line.

The police are not some poor fluffy team who are being forced to do a nasty job by us nasty activists - they exist to uphold property law and maintain the status quo. They WILL use guns as soon as anybody is seriously challenging that, be it on an anticapitalist demo or a picket line.

They are in direct opposition to everything we stand for. That is why we need millions on the streets like in argentina or Yugoslavia when they got rid of milosovic etc.

> There are kids making up large proportions of the crowds
> at Demos these days. You think they want to get shot?

You think I want to get shot? Shit, I get terrified by even being truncheoned. I was smashed in the face and dragged across a road with my arm twisted behind my back when I was 18 and that was from sitting in a road! I was violently arrested in Prague, this time I was sitting on the pavement! (first time CJB demo Nov 11th 1994. second time on the prisoner solidarity demo after we'd got the third day cancelled)

> Eager, overexcited kids showing their stuff, having caps
> popped in them by scared coppers who's experience tells
> them this dredded hippy heading towards him wants him dead
> rather than give him a hug!

"scared coppers"??? For fucks sake! In Brixton a few weeks ago a peaceful demonstration against police racism and brutality was violently attacked (I was knocked to the ground and 3 harsh arrests. No charges ofc).

Background:
Brixton Movement 4 Justice March:
 http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19230&group=webcast
 http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19174&group=webcast

wombles on mayday:
 http://uk.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=3825

ginger


The wrong Turkish road

15.01.2002 02:26

I wander how many people in the turkish Establishment say that saying to their kids on a regular basis. Quite a lot I should imagine. And yet they are blind to the shear evilness of what they are doing to the Kurds.

The human capacity for hypocrisy is FUCKING incredible. Let us all take a while to marvel at this human capacity for hypocrisy.

David


VIOLENCE

15.01.2002 09:02

"How are you intending to protect yourself from bullets? How do you respond to peaceful demonstrators who have been shot because your selfish actions have forced the Police to guard themselves with Guns?"



In GBG was the first time in years (in the western world) when COPS SHOT protesters!

1. Police promised that they wont bring horses, dogs or riot gear

THEY BROKE THAT PROMISE!

They tried to ride over people, dogs bit peoples faces, and I only saw 2 cops without bodyarmour!


2. They promised that people can sleep in peace.

THEY BROKE THAT PROMISE!

They attacked before any demos to our meeting place and fuck shit up out of everyone! They beat one guy 'till he was unconsious

3. They promised they wont stop peaceful demonstrations

THEY BROKE THAT PROMISE!


AND ALL THIS SHIT HAPENED BEFORE THERE HAD BEEN ANY DEMONSTRATIONS! (exept bush- and the one they atacked)



THIS WAS WHEN PEOPLE STARTED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS!

And you think that is wrong!!


And the shooting in Gothenburg happened when there was ONE guy and about 50 COPS! Other protesters had moved way back because more cops were coming.


AND THEN THEY JUST SHOY THE GUY!! AND RUNNING DOMONSTRATORS!!

I think we have a little bit more important things to worry about then black bloc!

(which I now think are great, they saved A LOT of people in Gothenburg from serious POLICE BRUTALITY!)

anonym


Aside from the violence debate

18.01.2002 06:11

There's some good ideas here about the media, thanks for posting.

Re flags, there were a couple of union jacks on some of the anti-war demos with the word 'Terrorist' in black across them.

Peter


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