Twitter: The anarchist tool?

Posted at 8:14 PM on September 2, 2008 by Bob Collins (13 Comments)
Filed under: Tech, The political conventions

Twitter got a lot of attention from the various press outlets today for its value in following yesterday's rampage by anarchists and the response by police.

One aspect of the social networking service is getting less mention: It's being used to coordinate the violence.

This evening, for example, the Twitter feed for the anarchist group at a protest outside the Xcel Energy Center, where the Republican National Convention is being held, warned, "Cops near Excel are searching people's bags for goggles and gas masks-- hide them!"

From the looks of things, the anarchists set up separate Twitter accounts for "sectors" of the city on Monday, giving the go-ahead at a coordinated time for the anarchists to break away from the peaceful protest and initiate a day of combat with police.

The system was also used to report places where protesters could get to delegates without police protection. At 2:31 yesterday, for example, one reported:

bringing in delegates at st peter and kellog WIDE OPEN

As the police moved on one sector, Twitter was used to move in protester reinforcements:

sector 2 requesting backup at kellogg and wabasha, massive amounts of riot cops

It's unclear whether the police, themselves, are also monitoring the Twitter feeds to try to stay ahead of the protesters, or whether they're doing anything to disrupt the communications. Nonetheless, the main Twitter feed for the anarchists reported on Tuesday afternoon that all of the "sector feeds" were not working.

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Comments (13)

these alleged "protesters"who are actually terrorists and scofflaws ,armed with dangerous even deadly weapons.
I would like to know why they are not being arrested for conspiracy to commit assault and even attempted murder charges?

Posted by meiam | September 2, 2008 9:29 PM

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Twitter is far more fascinating for following the convention than TV. Put on a little NPR and follow the twitter feeds from delegates and terrorists and you get a real flavor for what's going on.

Posted by Van Dyke Brown | September 2, 2008 10:04 PM

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Oh really? These "protesters" or "anarchists" are armed with deadly weapons? Really? Because the cops haven't found much. If they did, you know they would be charging them with attempted murder or whatever outlandish charge they could possible make. Oh and the bandannas you're all so afraid about; they protect the activists from tear gas. Have you ever been tear gassed? Probably not because you "keep your nose clean," but if you ever are, the bandanna would keep your nice, clean nose free of toxic agents.

War is terrorism waged by the rich. Terrorism is war waged by the poor.

Posted by Spring | September 2, 2008 10:34 PM

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if anything this shows all you disbelievers wrong...

look how organized they are!

they are using the most cutting edge networking capabilities that are available to the public.

see the anarchists are organized!

haha, jokes on y'all

Posted by jasper | September 2, 2008 11:10 PM

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You are still on the outside of the real story. Unfortunate. I am losing faith in your ability to report.

Posted by jan | September 2, 2008 11:27 PM

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this just in Bob! Bank robbers succesful heist was planned by using Cellular Phones. These criminals were actually able to communicate with each other in private both before, during, and after their criminal activity.When will society learn the folly of technology!

Posted by gman | September 3, 2008 12:35 AM

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Viva La Revolucion! _????

If the millions and millions we are spending on security don't include training on this technology than shame on somebody.

I have found it fascinating...although I didn't get my deck cleaned and stained over the weekend due to my twitter following...

keep up the good work Mr. Collins, you are one of few who are doing meaningful work, imho.

Posted by Bisou | September 3, 2008 12:50 AM

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"One aspect of the social networking service is getting less mention: It's being used to coordinate the violence."

Is this meant as a joke?

What we are seeing is police state goons clubbing and macing unarmed peaceful citizens exercising their rights.

Posted by George T | September 3, 2008 12:58 AM

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//NPR and Twitter

OK, I have to admit. I've spent a few hours sitting in the den watching Twitter Vision. It's also a good reminder that there are other things in the world besides us and other things going on besides the convention in St. Paul.

Why, just now I learned the @Urban_Gypsy on the train in New York is having "hinge issues" with his laptop. (g)

Posted by Bob Collins | September 3, 2008 7:50 AM

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George T, I don't know who you are. But I know Aaron Landry (and I trust him) and the key sentence in his excellent post here is this one:

"What the video doesn’t show clearly is that the mob threw first. The police responded swiftly with tear gas and smoke bombs. There were other objects thrown at police, one I believe exploded in front of them."

How do you explain this discrepancy between your comment and the eyewitness who was there on Monday?

Posted by Bob Collins | September 3, 2008 8:23 AM

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What I find surprising is complaints about police being overly rough with individuals (excessive use of force), when the average person knows that if you purposefully don't follow police orders, flee a scene, attack an officer, resist arrest or detainment, etc, the police are going to use force to subdue you.

Posted by JSmith | September 3, 2008 9:24 AM

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gman wrote, "this just in Bob! Bank robbers succesful heist was planned by using Cellular Phones. These criminals were actually able to communicate with each other in private both before, during, and after their criminal activity.When will society learn the folly of technology! "

Perhaps the interesting thing is that using Twitter isn't necessarily private. Bob indicated it isn't clear who is monitoring the accounts - and you don't have to follow an account to see it, if that account isn't set to have protected updates* In that case, anyone can read the messages and either receive the communication or act on it. In that way Twitter is a bit more like using a CB and telling everyone which channel to access. Of course it is easier to switch up CB channels...

So for discussion: Is watching these Twitter accounts like listening to a police scanner? Is it more or less effective communication if it is public? What have we learned from other tools similar to Twitter?

-Julia Schrenkler
Interactive Producer, MPR

*I realize there are Twitter apps that might make that private use possible.

Posted by Julia Schrenkler | September 3, 2008 10:04 AM

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What violence was coordinated? I monitored the twitter feeds all week, and all I saw were appeals for legal observers and solidarity of activists. Protesting the delegates, remember, is the *point* of protesting a convention (although some people think a protest is just a chance to confront riot police). The whole reason to go to Minneapolis is to make your voice heard *by the people in the Excel center*, as unlikely as that is. Seeking those delegates out doesn't imply violence (though violence did occur on both sides, one side more than the other, especially).

If there was planning for engaging in violent acts over twitter, find and link to the twitter message - they're all there for the public to see. Otherwise, you're just tossing around innuendo and suggestions. You'd never treat the police like that.

The laziness of your reporting - when the facts are a google search away - is astonishing. If none of your reporters got arrested, you weren't really there - because they were arresting EVERYBODY. And since you weren't there, you can only parrot predigested talking points from local law enforcement.

I don't expect much from public radio, but I prefer it to other sources of mainstream news. But this is just too much - you're blatantly counting on the ignorance of your liberal establishment listeners. I guess this shouldn't surprise me, but as a long-time NPR listener it just hurts, I suppose.

Posted by Jeremy | September 7, 2008 8:11 PM

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