Open-source protest

This is useful and original reporting from the American edition of the British left-wing NewStatesman. From “Be Water!”: seven tactics that are winning Hong Kong’s democracy revolution by Antony Dapiran.

The promise of dispersed, emergent political action was from in the 1990s with the launch of the internet, followed by mobile and then smart phones. The Tea Party in the US seemed an early. It was consequential but petered out under assault from both establishment parties. But they certainly modeled one of the features noted by Dapiran, leaderless but effective movements.

For almost two months, a wave of anti-government protests have rocked Hong Kong. Initially sparked by a government proposal to introduce a law that would allow the extradition of criminal suspects to stand trial in mainland Chinese courts, the protests have morphed into a broader pro-democracy movement, demanding greater government accountability and universal suffrage. Protests have largely been driven by young activists, who have developed and adapted their strategies during weekly protests and clashes with police, offering a masterclass in protest for activists worldwide. Here are some of their key tactics.

The tactics he notes are:

No more occupying – “Be Water!”

Open-source protest

Airdrop

Supply lines and sign language

Neutralising tear gas

Avoiding a stampede

The Revolution will be crowdfunded

Fascinating. And as an aside some of the freshest, most insightful reporting is originating from non-traditional media and independent reporters such as Michael Yon. Read the whole thing for what leaderless but coordinated civic protest is beginning to look like.