Pro-Palestinian demonstrators who plan to “shut down” the Democratic National Convention this week are taking cues from New York City, where protests on college campuses were orchestrated with the help of an encrypted messaging network.
Over the spring, student groups and pro-Palestinian organizations used the app Telegram to distribute how-to manuals on occupying buildings and other rally tactics, provide real-time updates on police movements and, in some cases, share explicitly pro-Hamas content.
And there are signs protesters are using the same tactics to plan massive demonstrations at the convention, where organizers hope to pressure Vice President Kamala Harris to take a harder stance against the Israeli government and its military campaign in Gaza.
“Make it great like ‘68,” one group posted to Telegram, referencing large Vietnam War protests at the DNC that year. “Shut down the DNC for Gaza!”
The post, which encouraged demonstrators to show up outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago at 7 p.m. on Aug. 20, was circulated on Resistance News Network, an organization on the radar of experts on extremism.
The only problem is that there isn’t an iOS version, which can be a problem for some. But yeah, good luck to the autorities to block that.
And IMO if you’re protesting, you may want to have a cheap Android phone you’re willing to lose, with only the apps and data that you need (ie: F-Droid, Briar, Organic Maps, Ripple, Cryptomator with encrypted photo backup to the cloud). If the autorities takes it from you it will be of limited value to them, and you’ll have your main phone safe at home.
Not being on iOS is a pretty big showstopper for young people in the US.