Protests: 5 reasons why experts say we should be wary of the 'outside agitator' narrative

[megahertz]

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN
Updated 9:46 AM ET, Thu June 4, 2020

As protests over police brutality and systemic racism sweep the nation, authorities have partly blamed incidents of property destruction and violence on people they deem 'outside agitators.'....

The narrative of the 'outside agitator' has long been used to undermine protest movements in the United States.... Here's why experts say we should be wary of that narrative....

- It's been used to discredit protests
...data has shown claims about outsiders playing a significant role in demonstrations are unproven. In reality, most of the people leading and participating in demonstrations are from oppressed communities...

- It distracts from the underlying causes
...Emphasizing the destruction of property and the role of outsiders in demonstrations distracts from the issues that prompted people to take to the streets...

- It ignores the fact that movements are connected
..casting suspicion on all protesters from out of town ignores the way that social change movements work...

- It's used to justify violence against protesters
...When you can de-legitimize authentic expressions of discontent, then you can mobilize violent force against them...

- It prevents the movement from growing
...focusing attention on property destruction and casting demonstrations as being corrupted by outside agitators can turn away people who might otherwise be supportive. The outside agitator narrative has been used to deter sympathy for past movements...


More at link:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/04/us/outside-agitator-label-history-trnd/index.html

[wryter2000]

1. Ummm

It's been used to discredit protests
...data has shown claims about outsiders playing a significant role in demonstrations are unproven. In reality, most of the people leading and participating in demonstrations are from oppressed communities...

People are blaming looting on outsiders. No one is saying the protests are instigated by outsiders. That argument was used against the civil rights protests, claiming "Our good negroes are happy with things the way they are. These are bad negroes from somewhere else." That's not at all what people are saying in regard to this violence. Plus, there's plenty of evidence that at least some of the looting is being done by outsiders, even right wingers.

[Laelth]

2. The "narrative" isn't the problem. It's the truth.

Why not embrace the truth? THERE ARE outside agitators disrupting the message of what have been, mostly, peaceful protests.



-Laelth

[Squinch]

3. Nice try!

[GeorgeGist]

4. A Load.

[58Sunliner]

5. The truth is grey.

There have been people taking advantage of the chaos and people who were supposed to be protesting and looted, etc.. There have been provocateurs, always have been. Old trick. Not new. It is an issue when you have people who are protesting ruining businesses, where poor people work, and especially at a time when everyone is already at risk. What I've seen the last few days is just ugly, almost pathological, aside from some peaceful protests.

[stillcool]

6. kind of cute.

[KPN]

7. Reason 1 is pure big media, big money bullshit! The other 4 reasons are provided as

cover -- a facade of legitimacy. This article is basically meant to discredit the notion of outside agitators whatsoever. Another heap of alternative facts. Be wary of stories that tell you to be wary!

[Amy-Strange]

8. It happened during 1999 WTO riots in Seattle...

-

It's just speculation, but I remember back in 1999 in Seattle (I think it was 1999) when we hosted the WTO. It was mostly a peaceful protest, but some anarchist jerks came up from Oregon, ran down some downtown streets wearing mask, threw rocks through windows, and then disappeared.

To this day, none of them have ever been arrested or even just identified.

This prompted LE (Law Enforcement) to tear gas everybody, and then force everyone away from the downtown area and up into the Capital Hill neighborhood.

It was a freakin' nightmare.

That was the narrative, but I often wonder if maybe some people from LE are really the one's behind some of these acts of violence and destruction, instead of outsiders or the protestors themselves.

I'm not against everyone in LE, because I've met some that were more into protecting citizens and keeping them safe, rather than looking for their next arrest or an opportunity to bust heads.

That said, if some cops are willing to kill black men and women, I don't see how anything could stop them from throwing a rock through a window, especially if they have mask on.
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