I never understood why more people didn't do that little Guy Fawkes representation they like so much with theater make-up. It would be more comfortable than a sweaty mask and, if applied correctly, it can fool that facial recognition software.

It drives the local PDs nuts.

Anonymity is counter-productive to public speech. The whole idea has always been, "I am me, and I stand behind this cause, and will stand in public to proclaim it." Disguising yourself prevents your audience from verifying your credibility and person; maybe it's really you. Maybe it's someone else entirely wearing the same disguise, who can tell?

Now, perhaps if there's a real chance that you wpuld lose your life over being identified - such as hte colonial-era pamphleteers, or dissenters in a violent dictatorship - then sure, protecting your personal identity is prudent. But despite the polemics, we're very far from that, and Canda certainly is.

The trouble is, the concept of "protest" has been infected by this leftover "counter-culture" horse-shit from the 60's and 70's, where waving puppets around and dressing up in funny hats has taken over the concept of exercising speech for a cause. That yippy dumbassery has made street theater and "turnout" more important than actual content and action, and is a major reason why protest is largely pointless in this day and age - a bunch of dumbfucks show up and start a "free Tibet" drum circle while wearing uncle sam outfits and it just clogs the whole thing down.

Of course, the idea of jail sentences for shooting yourself in the foot by wearing a dumb fucking mask while showing off (no, you're not protesting, you're posing) is pretty damn ludicrous as well. Two stupids don't make a smart.

When Anonymous hacked the intelligence agency Stratfor, it was learned that corporations etc. keep files on activists, and more, beyond simple police worries and DHS fusion center fears.

In Los Angeles, there is a Special Order 1 which makes LAPD a tentacle for the DHS. They even have pamphlets and cards featuring the phrase, "See something, say something". Any records cops have of activists, and because of DHS following Occupy from day 1, you can bet they have them, are loaded up into Federal levels. One person in NYC IIRC while being brought into jail after an Occupy arrest, saw briefly a board in the police station with pics of Occupiers, cross-referencing, etc. Doubtless this exists electronically. \\

http://stoplapdspying.org/

Lt. Paulson, who has been present at or organizing some LAPD assaults upon Occupy LA, is responsible for Special Order 1 as well. Things begin to tie together...

Add in facial recognition and you'll know that if you've been active in activism over the last year, you're in a system on a list, or several. The FBI have broken into apartments searching for "literature", etc. The FBI is after Occupy, among other organizations. Same old tricks they've pulled against civil and social movements for years.

When some SoCal Occupations, Code Pink, and Veterans marched against Raytheon and a few other military-industrial complex war profiteers, there were even at least one watcher on a building rooftop, and -several- who took video from both a distance and while driving right up on the group. They are collecting data and it would be a damn good idea to keep yourself anonymous while protesting. Video (by 5 minutes you'll have the idea)

I'm not partial to black blocs anyhow.

This is an extremely slippery slope, and although anonymity is a black bloc tactic, it is not an "if/then" for violence. Anonymity is a tactic, and considering the ugliness of our enemies, a very good one.

Everyone knows about section 1021 in the NDAA, correct? Indefinite detention without trial or lawyer if you are suspected of being a terrorist or aiding them or even being connected...and I believe a DOJ report classified protesting as low-level terrorism. These are the days of 64 drone bases on US soil, of militarized police, of Federal-level spying upon citizens.

And if someone is an undercover cop, acting weirdly or being violent, step away from them immediately. Call them out. Fuck police agents provacateurs.

It's basically the same law as bill 78, that Quebec legal experts and Charest's own legal council warned him was not worth the paper it was written on. Just like Harper's mandatory minimum sentencing laws which are already getting shredded as cruel and unusual punishment, this law will be killed eventually too.