LoneGunman
Expert Member
(yeah its a long post - those with ADD, go watch MTV rather 
)
As someone jokingly made some violent-type protest suggestions against Telkom, I thought I'd give some real guidelines on practical Protest, and more importantly - the PR/Media angle..
(and yeah, a zillion years ago, I took part in various protests against the previous Regime - and have watched the rise of anti-globalisation and enviromental protesting - and noted the useful ways in which Protest itself is most effective; so -
The only kind of protest that is of value, is peaceful. Even though the State will do its best to portray the Action as 'not peaceful' - in order to defuse or disguise the message of the protesters, the only valuable protest is that which understands that the Protest is all about getting the Media to carry your message, to the Public.
Some variations on the following (and many of these are done routinely by social activists in other countries to publicize their situation) can easily be done against Telkom:
- also, remember that its very very important, to contact the press and have them there, to take photographs and or witness the fun and chaos. The main object of protest, is to be SEEN to be protesting, in the media, as well as clearly and peacefully providing good reasons for your actions, in pamphlets for instance, which can be quoted from, by the Press.
(These pamphlets should have no obscene, abusive or any content which can let the Media/State quote it as an example of how juvenile/abusive the Protesters are.)
Activists need to have: id document, friends nearby and distant, to report on what happens (yet they need to be distant enough not to get arrested as well)
a legal counsel on standby to bail them out and ensure the police treat them according to the letter of the law,
-ahead of any Action, a short press release faxed to the media, containing the motivation for the Action.
Remember, PEACEFUL protest is a right enshrined in the constitution. If this peaceful protest happens to involve the minor inconveniencing of employees of the company you're protesting at - oh well, bummer. You can't make omlettes without breaking some eggs.
Always remember, that if the Media doesnt know in advance and see/record what you're doing - (in order to communicate it to the public) IT DOESN'T EXIST.
some standard techniques - used globally:
- a piece of chain and a padlock, with no key - and chaining a telkom office shut, or using handcuffs to do the same.
-Also chaining yourself, to the now sealed door handles, or interior columns or fixtures inside, and then, either you, or friends (separate from the friend/friends outside the area, acting as 'babysitters' and your direct lifeline to legal help) distributing pamphlets detailing in non abusive language, your reasons for this Action..
- Combination of 'sit down' protests, inside a Telkom office, combined with a chaining to a fixture, door handles - or even - as enviromentalist protesters have done - entered an office with four or more people carrying a large piece of metal, to which they each chain themselves, and/or are gripping in holes in the metal. (This requiring a whole lot of effort for the authorities to try remove each individual protester)
-blocking the customers access to the counter area - by chaining themselves to any convenient (and unremovable) fixture. And politely but firmly refusing to move or unlock themselves.
- Bear in mind under local law, handcuffing yourself to an employee can be construed as 'kidnapping' or 'unlawful detaining' in some way.
So fixtures are always better - especially fixtures which happen to block access for employees to leave the area easily - so you're doing the same thing as the direct handcuffing to an employee, but not technically in the eyes of the law.
- Creating and preparing posters with the details of your gripe, and prepare them in advance with a glue, and rapidly cover the windows and glass fronting of the venue with your posters that cant be easily removed. Do this in combo with a chaining, to perhaps seal the employees inside their service center, and the posters on the outside..
The object of the Protest Action, is not really to educate those employees or public who happen to see it - or to present an apparently abusive front to those employees/public - but to provide a colourful and useful bit of data for the MEDIA to report on your action, in TV, newspaper and/or radio.
So any behaviour needs to keep this firmly in mind. Protest is being done, in order to have your message communicated via the Media, to the PUBLIC.
Yes it'd be nice and useful to have a few members of the public or employees 'get' what you're doing - but its far more important that the Media is used as a springboard and platform for your MESSAGE.
If done right, this will communicate the situation - and possibly spawn copycat protests around the country - hence the reason for having ready media to hand out, as well as the Press advised in advance, and photographs being taken of everything - and these provided to the Press regardless of the end result to the protesters.
So any kind of protest that doesnt follow this above philosophy, is useless - as the Media will portray it in a way that doesnt communicate anything of value. (Assuming they even bother to report it)
(They'll probably report it negatively anyway - but in order to improve the odds on the Media itself spreading your message - you have to try and demonstrate from the get-go, that you're organised, prepared, polite, apologetic, as law-abiding as possible - but you're doing this Action anyway. Sorry.)
So no violence, no abusive behaviour, a clear conscious awareness of maintaining your personal discipline - as employees, security guards and/or police - may well try and goad you or provoke you into behaviour that can be used by them and/or the Media into reducing what you're doing, to some arbitrary 'crazy persons' dumb protest, as well as adding extra charges.
Not having the keys to unlock chains, is - in law - very different from directly saying to a policeman 'No I wont move from here.'
(The first requires that they have to go find bolt cutters - the second is 'interfering with a police officer in the execution of his duty'.) So naturally, you behave like you'd love to help them, but sorry - you're obviously chained here, and by the way, this is just a peaceful protest action
The SA public are used to two extremes in protest - either political gobbledegook that doesnt simply get the Message over properly, along with thousands of dancing workers - or else the other extreme, of 'a lone crazy guy' - for instance, letting out poisonous snakes in a bank, remember that one?
The middle ground of protest, between these two extremes - is where any anti-Telkom Actions have to take place. Anti-Telkom protest is non political, non racist, non abusive, but come from a law-abiding and completely socially outraged perspective.
We're being ripped off and made poorer by a Company that was built on OUR tax money. That's the simple reason.
Any Protest, needs to have a discipline being practised by the protester(s) - who should understand that they're doing a symbolic action, and its all just a device to provide the Media with a reason to carry the Protest Message, to the mass audience.
The arb employees, security guards, police, public who see the Action, are
not and never 'the enemy' - they're just people who are doing their jobs.
Even if you're being arrested - its just some guys (craigsa even ) doing
their job. Its not necessary to be trying to yell, be abusive or convert
anyone there to your cause - or to get angry, or insulting at anyone.
To do that, minimises the power of your Action in the first place. Have leaflets, stay friendly but apologetic,
"No I dont have keys to this padlock I'm chained to the door handles with, sorry"
Its a Protest Action, in a modern mass communication age - so anything
you do, you have to keep the Bigger Picture in mind. What is your OBJECTIVE?
To have the media report as much of what you're protesting about, as possible, to the public, in a way that the public goes 'Hell yeah! I agree!"
Do this correctly, and Telkom and their Media Buddies, have a Big Problem - because its not as easy to paint you as a crazy person - and hide your Message - because you have prepared and blocked in advance, all the ways that regular protests get defused by Telkom and the Media.
Then suddenly you may well see copycat protest actions breaking out all
over - as others decide that your cheerful and friendly but firm approach
to social protest, is a good idea.
Even if this doesnt happen, as long as your message gets out - it demonstrates that we the public, are able to think strategically, carefully,
and do things to express our total displeasure at Telkom - without letting
ourselves be painted as crazies, stupid, or terrorists in any way.
You want the Media to see what you do, to film it, report on it, and to
convey your message to the public. That's it.
And to convey your motives as truthfully as possible - namely
'totally well-behaved but firmly f*ckingly socially outraged at Telkom.'
And the Press is the medium for your Message to be carried to the public.
THE MESSAGE IS THE MEDIUM /THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE
)As someone jokingly made some violent-type protest suggestions against Telkom, I thought I'd give some real guidelines on practical Protest, and more importantly - the PR/Media angle..
(and yeah, a zillion years ago, I took part in various protests against the previous Regime - and have watched the rise of anti-globalisation and enviromental protesting - and noted the useful ways in which Protest itself is most effective; so -
The only kind of protest that is of value, is peaceful. Even though the State will do its best to portray the Action as 'not peaceful' - in order to defuse or disguise the message of the protesters, the only valuable protest is that which understands that the Protest is all about getting the Media to carry your message, to the Public.
Some variations on the following (and many of these are done routinely by social activists in other countries to publicize their situation) can easily be done against Telkom:
- also, remember that its very very important, to contact the press and have them there, to take photographs and or witness the fun and chaos. The main object of protest, is to be SEEN to be protesting, in the media, as well as clearly and peacefully providing good reasons for your actions, in pamphlets for instance, which can be quoted from, by the Press.
(These pamphlets should have no obscene, abusive or any content which can let the Media/State quote it as an example of how juvenile/abusive the Protesters are.)
Activists need to have: id document, friends nearby and distant, to report on what happens (yet they need to be distant enough not to get arrested as well)
a legal counsel on standby to bail them out and ensure the police treat them according to the letter of the law,
-ahead of any Action, a short press release faxed to the media, containing the motivation for the Action.
Remember, PEACEFUL protest is a right enshrined in the constitution. If this peaceful protest happens to involve the minor inconveniencing of employees of the company you're protesting at - oh well, bummer. You can't make omlettes without breaking some eggs.
Always remember, that if the Media doesnt know in advance and see/record what you're doing - (in order to communicate it to the public) IT DOESN'T EXIST.
some standard techniques - used globally:
- a piece of chain and a padlock, with no key - and chaining a telkom office shut, or using handcuffs to do the same.
-Also chaining yourself, to the now sealed door handles, or interior columns or fixtures inside, and then, either you, or friends (separate from the friend/friends outside the area, acting as 'babysitters' and your direct lifeline to legal help) distributing pamphlets detailing in non abusive language, your reasons for this Action..
- Combination of 'sit down' protests, inside a Telkom office, combined with a chaining to a fixture, door handles - or even - as enviromentalist protesters have done - entered an office with four or more people carrying a large piece of metal, to which they each chain themselves, and/or are gripping in holes in the metal. (This requiring a whole lot of effort for the authorities to try remove each individual protester)
-blocking the customers access to the counter area - by chaining themselves to any convenient (and unremovable) fixture. And politely but firmly refusing to move or unlock themselves.
- Bear in mind under local law, handcuffing yourself to an employee can be construed as 'kidnapping' or 'unlawful detaining' in some way.
So fixtures are always better - especially fixtures which happen to block access for employees to leave the area easily - so you're doing the same thing as the direct handcuffing to an employee, but not technically in the eyes of the law.
- Creating and preparing posters with the details of your gripe, and prepare them in advance with a glue, and rapidly cover the windows and glass fronting of the venue with your posters that cant be easily removed. Do this in combo with a chaining, to perhaps seal the employees inside their service center, and the posters on the outside..
The object of the Protest Action, is not really to educate those employees or public who happen to see it - or to present an apparently abusive front to those employees/public - but to provide a colourful and useful bit of data for the MEDIA to report on your action, in TV, newspaper and/or radio.
So any behaviour needs to keep this firmly in mind. Protest is being done, in order to have your message communicated via the Media, to the PUBLIC.
Yes it'd be nice and useful to have a few members of the public or employees 'get' what you're doing - but its far more important that the Media is used as a springboard and platform for your MESSAGE.
If done right, this will communicate the situation - and possibly spawn copycat protests around the country - hence the reason for having ready media to hand out, as well as the Press advised in advance, and photographs being taken of everything - and these provided to the Press regardless of the end result to the protesters.
So any kind of protest that doesnt follow this above philosophy, is useless - as the Media will portray it in a way that doesnt communicate anything of value. (Assuming they even bother to report it)
(They'll probably report it negatively anyway - but in order to improve the odds on the Media itself spreading your message - you have to try and demonstrate from the get-go, that you're organised, prepared, polite, apologetic, as law-abiding as possible - but you're doing this Action anyway. Sorry.)
So no violence, no abusive behaviour, a clear conscious awareness of maintaining your personal discipline - as employees, security guards and/or police - may well try and goad you or provoke you into behaviour that can be used by them and/or the Media into reducing what you're doing, to some arbitrary 'crazy persons' dumb protest, as well as adding extra charges.
Not having the keys to unlock chains, is - in law - very different from directly saying to a policeman 'No I wont move from here.'
(The first requires that they have to go find bolt cutters - the second is 'interfering with a police officer in the execution of his duty'.) So naturally, you behave like you'd love to help them, but sorry - you're obviously chained here, and by the way, this is just a peaceful protest action
The SA public are used to two extremes in protest - either political gobbledegook that doesnt simply get the Message over properly, along with thousands of dancing workers - or else the other extreme, of 'a lone crazy guy' - for instance, letting out poisonous snakes in a bank, remember that one?
The middle ground of protest, between these two extremes - is where any anti-Telkom Actions have to take place. Anti-Telkom protest is non political, non racist, non abusive, but come from a law-abiding and completely socially outraged perspective.
We're being ripped off and made poorer by a Company that was built on OUR tax money. That's the simple reason.
Any Protest, needs to have a discipline being practised by the protester(s) - who should understand that they're doing a symbolic action, and its all just a device to provide the Media with a reason to carry the Protest Message, to the mass audience.
The arb employees, security guards, police, public who see the Action, are
not and never 'the enemy' - they're just people who are doing their jobs.
Even if you're being arrested - its just some guys (craigsa even
) doingtheir job. Its not necessary to be trying to yell, be abusive or convert
anyone there to your cause - or to get angry, or insulting at anyone.
To do that, minimises the power of your Action in the first place. Have leaflets, stay friendly but apologetic,
"No I dont have keys to this padlock I'm chained to the door handles with, sorry"
Its a Protest Action, in a modern mass communication age - so anything
you do, you have to keep the Bigger Picture in mind. What is your OBJECTIVE?
To have the media report as much of what you're protesting about, as possible, to the public, in a way that the public goes 'Hell yeah! I agree!"
Do this correctly, and Telkom and their Media Buddies, have a Big Problem - because its not as easy to paint you as a crazy person - and hide your Message - because you have prepared and blocked in advance, all the ways that regular protests get defused by Telkom and the Media.
Then suddenly you may well see copycat protest actions breaking out all
over - as others decide that your cheerful and friendly but firm approach
to social protest, is a good idea.
Even if this doesnt happen, as long as your message gets out - it demonstrates that we the public, are able to think strategically, carefully,
and do things to express our total displeasure at Telkom - without letting
ourselves be painted as crazies, stupid, or terrorists in any way.
You want the Media to see what you do, to film it, report on it, and to
convey your message to the public. That's it.
And to convey your motives as truthfully as possible - namely
'totally well-behaved but firmly f*ckingly socially outraged at Telkom.'
And the Press is the medium for your Message to be carried to the public.
THE MESSAGE IS THE MEDIUM /THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE
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