Leftist Activism 101: Get in someone’s face and then play victim for the cameras
This tactic was used against me and pro-Israel students at Cornell, and appears to have been used by an activist against a high school student in D.C.
The recent interaction in DC between high school students (one in particular) and an older activist who is Native American reminded me of a warning I once received from a colleague as to how I needed to prepare myself if I ever was in a hostile crowd or confronted.
A classic leftist/occupy activist tactic, I was warned, was to confront a target and immediately start screaming that the target was being aggressive even though that was not true.
Unsuspecting people in the vicinity would not start recording the incident until there was this commotion. The videographers accompanying the provocateur also would edit the video to start when the provocateur started screaming. The target, not knowing what was about to happen, would not be prepared for it, and might even take the bait, such as in pushing the person away physically.
Regardless of what the target did or didn’t do, you would have video of the innocent target being portrayed as the aggressor, and the provocateur portrayed as the victim.
It happened to me at Cornell in April 2014 after the student assembly rejected a BDS motion.
After an Ithaca activist and campus members of Students for Justice in Palestine disrupted the assembly meeting, I went into the vestibule of the building with my cell phone camera in hand. The main aggressor then pulled this stunt on me, falsely screaming that I put my camera in her face (the video shows otherwise). She also shouted “back away from me” even though I had not moved an inch. Another SJP activist, who is still active in campus anti-Israel politics, approached me and told me to stop filming even though I had every right to film in a public space.
If I didn’t have my video, it would be my word against theirs as to who was being aggressive, and their video alone would be the documentary evidence.
That same tactic was used against pro-Israel students at Cornell later in 2014 by the same Ithaca activist and other SJP students, as I documented in Cornell Pro-Israel students taunted: “F**k You Zionist scums”.
Look how the provocateur got inches from a pro-Israel student’s face, and started screaming “don’t touch me, don’t touch me” even though she was the aggressor and had not been touched. She then taunted the target to hit her, “slap me, do it, do it.” She also made a spitting sound (not clear if she actually spit) in the target’s face. The targeted student had the composure not to take the bait.
[The Ithaca activist reportedly was barred from campus after this, but there were no repercussions for the students who accompanied her.]
The DC incident seemed to fit this classic tactic.
The activist approached the students, who were waiting for a bus, the students did not approach the activist. The activist, accompanied by his own videographers, kept walking into the crowd of students until he ended up in front of that now-famous student. Why bring videographers with you unless you are expecting something to happen?
Yet the still photos and tightly clipped videos that spread like wildfire made it seem as if the students had approached and confronted the activist. That was the narrative spun by the activist to the media, which ran with it as if this was a 1960 lunch counter confrontation.
Additionally, the activist, having approached to within a couple of feet of the student, then started banging the drum in the student’s face, just inches away. Why beat the drum inches from the face of someone standing still unless it was a provocation?
The student had the composure to do nothing but stand there. He didn’t take the bait, and that was the right decision. Of course, that student now is being accused of showing white privilege by not reacting.
Only because there was more complete video did the media narrative of the student as the aggressor change.
There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to leftist activist tactics. Getting in someone’s face and then playing victim for the cameras is one of the oldest tricks in the book.
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Comments
It’s still “The Ox-Bow Incident.”
The accused changes, but the posse doesn’t
Nathan Phillips is peddling a variety of stories. First claiming the boys surrounded him.
https://www.weaselzippers.us/408895-nathan-phillips-story-of-what-happened-changed-from-media-outlet-to-media-outlet/
In the latest, he claims in waded in to “calm” the situation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/conflicting-accounts-sowed-confusion-about-confrontation-at-lincoln-memorial/
You don’t calm anything by getting 6 inches from a boy’s face with a drumstick, your drum and your face.
Mr. Phillips, the msm media, Hollywood left and the religious cult group- all adults- should be ashamed.
It’s being variously claimed that he is a Vietnam vet, though I have only heard him say he served in “Vietnam times” which conceivably gives him an out. He would have been a 17 year old in 1973, but Marine combat operations ended in 1972.
He very well could have been a Vietnam vet during that time period, if he fought on the other side.
Starting to look like Nathan is a little shifty
Similar language here:
http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/native-american-claims-racial-harassment-by-emu-students-dressed-as-indians?fbclid=IwAR2EFZcG_ES6JEcTBPc1v08huFtWavM4CTG95QJha0RDcf9ALLTlFzwbl1Q
Not necessarily paid to do the current stunt, just his inclination?
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/ai6581/the_native_indian_is_possibly_a_paid_actor_this/
Might be interesting to see if he knows any of the Black Hebrew Israelites in attendance…
Tucker Carlson’s first segment hit the nail on the head about the surreal and evil nature pervasive in many of these incidents.
The actual privileged attacking actual non-privileged as privileged.
“https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2019/01/21/doesnt-really-add-up-tweeps-thread-on-nathan-phillips-claims-of-vietnam-service-will-make-you-go-hmmmmm/
Did Nathan Phillips really spend time in Vietnam as an infantryman? Interesting post in Twitchy. Couple of snips.
2: What did he claim to do?
“I’m a veteran,” says Phillips, “a Marine Corps infantryman in the ’70s”
So he’s claiming to specifically be in combat arms during Vietnam.
— NoMan2000 (@_NoMan2000) January 21, 2019
3:How old is he?
Both the 2000 articles on him and the 2019 articles on him give him the same birth year. https://t.co/1je0bo3MEA …
Nov. 26, 2000, age 45. 2000 – 45 = 1955. https://t.co/XSjIyqyvJm …
64 years old, January of 2019. 64 – 2019 = 1955
— NoMan2000 (@_NoMan2000) January 21, 2019
So we have the following information: He was born some time in 1955, he claims to have been to Vietnam, and he claims that he was an Infantryman in Vietnam. Here’s where the problems begin.
— NoMan2000 (@_NoMan2000) January 21, 2019
—————————————————-
Knowing that it must be after Jan 20 and before Nov. 26. The most generous date we can give is tomorrow, Jan 21. Assuming he turned 17 on Jan 21 of 1971 and immediately joined the Marine Corps, he would have then needed to complete 28 weeks of training.
— NoMan2000 (@_NoMan2000) January 21, 2019
That would take us to August 5, 1971, which is past the June 25, 1971 date that all combat Marines were out of Vietnam.
— NoMan2000 (@_NoMan2000) January 21, 2019
—————————————————-
Don’t be silly. @SenBlumenthal is willing to vouch for him.
— Gumlegs (@Gumlegs) January 21, 2019
Good work. Again I didn’t read every post before I posted above.
Blumenthal shared a foxhole with Phillips. No lie!
still would like to know how Blumenthal didn’t get to go to Viet Nam being in the Marine reserve and all, when they were drafting for the Marines at the time.
The same way Tom Harkin and George W Bush were not sent to Vietnam. Vietnam was not the only place in the world where US forces were needed. Harkin, Bush, and Blumenthal all served honorably, but not in Vietnam; only Harkin and Blumenthal later lied about it. Similarly John Kerry did serve in Vietnam, for the most part honorably though without distinction, but later falsely claimed to have served in Cambodia as well (in addition to the vicious lies he told about alleged atrocities, and about his own supposed bravery).
Will Kathy Griffin urge people to dox him instead?
Please do not let up on this story.
People need to be held accountable for the heinous rush to judgement against these high school students… the left (and many on the right – that mean you Rich Lowry) wing media, the school leaders, the archdiocesan leaders, the local politicians, the pseudo celebrities all should be constantly reminded of their decision to ruin the life of this young man, his family and his classmates without knowing the facts.
If anything the young man at the center of the hysteria should be congratulated for the restraint he showed under pressure.
I don’t know anything about libel law, but I sure would like to see a suit (or maybe a hundred suits) on this. At some point, the media should have to be held accountable for the direct harm they do.
That Ithaca activist looks like the angry offspring of Kermit and Miss Piggy.
Why is it always the fat ugly ones screaming in someone’s face, like the Cornell and Ithaca ones? Must be the only way they can get any attention. Mommy didn’t explain the fact that “any attention is good attention” is not true.
Reminds me too of Alinsky describing, in “Rules for Radicals,” putting useful idiots (his disciples) in KKK outfits at political rallies to make it appear for the media cameras that a political opponent was supported by the KKK (and so was a racist).
The people on the Left scrupulously avoid debating on the merits, and have no qualms about lying and deceiving, which shows that they themselves are unscrupulous, and that their ideas / positions / ideology cannot weather honest debate.
Fake scenes providing inventory for fake news … a Progressive specialty.
The classic “Hugh Mungus” video remains instructive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzA4dCT4X0I.
I can’t thank you enough for linking that video. I never had seen it before, and think “Hugh” in the video handled the screeching harridan quite well in at least three ways.
1) When being recorded by a deranged loon, don’t try to break the tension by being funny (his only mistake). They have no sense of humor, short of inflicting pain on other humans.
2) Don’t give them your name. Note that she was screaming repeatedly for Mr. Mongus to identify himself. He wisely did not. One of the security people did (fool) and one wisely stayed absolutely silent despite being screamed at up close.
3) Move immediately to the nearest police or security unit and have them handle the situation. They’re paid and trained for this kind of noisy idiot. Pass the encounter off with a non-directed comment such as “She’s making a disturbance” or “Officer, can you help me?” Do *not* make an accusation such as “She’s bothering me” or “She ambushed me.” That just will get you tied up with forms and counter-accusations. Pass off the encounter, move away without looking back, and make a note of the exact time just in case.
And the media laps it up.
Imagine Joseph Goebbels with modern TV and the Internet at his command instead of just radio and newspapers. That is our modern media.
Too good not to pass on – from the last refuge David Spence (@spence28516) on January 21, 2019 at 10:02 pm
These were planned, coordinated attacks directly from the websites “Beautiful Trouble” and Beautiful Rising.” If you are unaware of these, you’ll find all the strategies, tactics, theories and case studies here:http://explore.beautifultrouble.org/#-1:00000
Just three used against the Covington kids:
1. The decision Dillema. This is where you make sure your target has no good options. In this case, if the kids leave they look cowardly if they stay they look intimidating;
2. Do the medias work for them.
This is what the indigenous protestor did. He did an interview and set the narrative (beautifully I might add) so that it was off and running before the facts came out;
3. Lead with sympathtic characters. Here we see an old indigenous man face to face with energy filled teens in MAGA hats. By leading with the old man the protestors made it so that the public sympathy would favor the protestors.
Forewarned is forearmed.
In many videos you can’t tell that Phillips is also chanting extremely loudly in a stereotypical way. So the teen has both banging and chanting 6” from his face by an unknown man. What comes next? Have you ever had anyone in your face? It’s almost intolerable. That smile was not a cocky smirk. It was discomfort and fear. I give him credit for calmly standing his ground.
It’s getting almost to the point where you need to wear a body cam if you go out in public as a conservative.
When out in public like these kids were at a march one should have a camera, not a phone, but an actual camera that is recording everything. Always.
And be on the lookout for any possible trouble.
Cameras are like garlic and sunlight to the left. It exposes them for the frauds that they are.
Drum-Banging Indian Nathan Phillips Was in the News 4 Years Ago, Telling an Eerily Similar Story
https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/drum-banging-indian-nathan-phillips-news-4-years-ago-telling-eerily-similar-story/
thank you for posting this. We conservatives need to become familiar with leftist strategy, so we can counter and defeat it. .
And this is why I, a teacher of classes of homeschooled students and a political conservative/libertarian, use an alias. I have the moral duty to protect my students.
It’s interesting how this post ties in with Mr. Branca’s on that “large, white” man punching that “small, pre-teen, black” girl. Was that episode planned for video as well?
Am I the only one who watched the original edited clip when it first came out and was confused by the level of outrage? My spidey senses went off the minute this story erupted. It had all the hallmarks of the typical manufactured outrage machine. Ho hum, another hate hoax. The left has to manufacture the hatred of the right because it’s so damned hard to find the real thing. Meanwhile there is never any outrage expressed over left-wing hate. Stop the world, I want to get off.
Yup, all the signs were there. The short video had Obama’s “get in their faces” written all over it.
This crap ia the reason why I don’t wear a maga hat, as much as I would love to. It makes me a target and I have a CCW. Means that I have to keep an extra standard of care in all situations. Last thing I want is some professional agitator to start something, cross a line where I have to respond and someone winds up with a bullet in them. It just rather avoid all that. Sad testimony on our world today but it’s the reality we’re in, and as has has been said before reality doesn’t care about my feelings.
I wore one on a air and bus trip from Montana thru Denver Airport, LAX and a bus connection – figured I would get assaulted and was looking forward to the exercise. Got 6 positive interactions and a couple odd looks. Was surprised. I am 6’4″ 240 so that may have had something to do with it 😉
It’s Michelle Fields & Corey Lewandowski all over again. False witness as not just a tactic, but as policy. We’ll have to get used to it.
https://www.amgreatness.com/2019/01/21/the-left-wont-allow-a-peaceful-separation/
A peaceful national separation is probably a good idea. But those on the Right must face the most important obstacle: The Left would never ever let us leave.
At least the kid has a backbone…looks good for America!
Backbone, indeed.
He has already turned into an icon..
Here:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxga17HVAAAXeW8.jpg
Guess the lesson here is as soon as you are confronted by any LEFTISTS
just start chanting
“FAKE NEWS. FAKE NEWS. FAKE NEWS.”
Let their evil cameras record that chant!
What seems apparent at this point is that among the four actors in this drama (The Black Hebrews, Philips, the Covington students, media) it is the students’ behavior that stands out as exemplary.
Perhaps not totally, 100% perfect but still far better than that of any of the other significant actors here. At a minimum they maintained their perspective and situational awareness in a threatening and disorienting situation.
To which our mainstream media and conformist activists seem to have little to say other than, “Yes, but, some of them were wearing MAGA hats, and besides all of them are boys, they are all white boys, and what more could you need to know about them?”
I think what we need to know about them is that when they suddenly found themselves confronted and tested that overall they behaved honorably and well.
Could you elaborate on what you think was less than perfect? I don’t see them doing anything wrong.
There’s a companion tactic to this one, used in Seattle. Provocateur wades up to the mark, makes some loud ‘provocative’ remarks, and then suddenly drops to the ground as if he’d been struck – whereupon his allies begin screeching at the mark as a bully.
Ah, the European Soccer approach.
The Leftist have been cleverly schooled to this type of behavior believing that they can achieve a “photo op” of being a “victim”.
I would advise conservative speakers to have an assistant with them to “photo op” the encounter too…..and maybe incite the leftist to attack them! We need TV shots to show the public! The school administrators are pu##ys and the police are restrained by the PC politicians.
Never go to Mickey’s during lunch time if the local high school is nearby. And if your forced to make sure you have at least 2 iPhones on you when order your Big Mac fries and senior coffee.
This time, the videos and the accuser’s history were unearthed within hours. We have learned. It won’t stay this way for very long, because they will use faked video in the near future, along the lines of the Fauxtography of the Palestinians. We will think of something.
Nice.
Also known as “crybully” tactics.
Here is another video of SJWs executing coordinated maneuvers
This one is a take-down maneuver, but it bears many similarities to the media hoax maneuvers we’re talking about. You can think of them as “above the waist” maneuvers in the sense that they’re designed to appear a certain way above the waist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEBIftrCMYY