Politics
Protesters Are Using Old Tools in New Ways
From laser pointers in Hong Kong to safety vests in France, organizers are rethinking digital and physical tools.
The tools of protest.
Photographer: Kang Hee Kim/Bloomberg Businessweek; Stylist: Paola AndreaThis article is for subscribers only.
After the Sudanese military toppled dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir in April, it turned its attention to a new opponent: protesters demanding a civilian government. In a bid to cut off activists’ ability to communicate with one another and the outside world, leaders ordered the country’s internet shut down. This, they thought, would also shut down the movement.
Instead, organizers communicated via handwritten notes, couriers, and face-to-face meetings—all time-honored tactics from the pre-internet age. By early July, internet access was restored, and on Aug. 4 the two sides agreed on a transition to civilian rule.