Protest Warrior
Encyclopedia
Protest Warrior was a conservative political
activist
group. It was formed in 2003 by Alan Lipton and Kfir Alfia in Austin, Texas
. The group is primarily known for organizing counter-protests in favor of the Iraq war. Its slogan was "Fighting the left...doing it right".
when he reunited with Alan Lipton, a childhood friend, and crashed an anti-war
protest
in San Francisco on February 16, 2003.
The two carried their own signs. Alfia's sign showed a woman in a burqa
tied to a pole with a leash around her neck, and was captioned "Protect Islamic Property Rights Against Western Imperialism. Say No To War!" Lipton's sign said, "Saddam Only Kills His Own People. It's None Of Our Business." Conservative
talk-show host Rush Limbaugh
covered their counter-protest on his website and complimented the group on its work.
A newsletter on the site published by Alan and Kfir expressed objection to Islam
itself, rather than fundamentalists in particular:
was crashing liberal
events, chiefly anti-war protest marches and counter-demonstrating within their ranks. For instance, Protest Warriors attended rallies against Halliburton
, Caterpillar Inc.
, Israel
, and U.S. President
George W. Bush
, displaying support for these entities. When doing so, the Protest Warriors carried large signs often designed to appear similar to those held by the participants, enabling them to mingle until observers were close enough to read their signs' fine-print
. At least once this backfired. In August 2005, counter-protesters supporting George W. Bush
during a protest in Crawford, Texas
failed to notice the sarcasm and tore up some of the Protest Warriors' signs.
The website has been the target of various attempts at politically motivated hacking in the course of its existence. Most notably, in January, 2005 the site was hacked by Chicago
native and anarchist Jeremy Hammond
, affiliated with the website HackThisSite.org
, to steal credit card numbers and shut down the web server. Hammond was indicted in May, 2006, and sentenced to two years in prison on December 7, 2006.
and abroad.
Examples of past Protest Warrior operations include:
Kfir, the founder of Protest Warrior, was quoted: "We're going to be protesting abortion
more and more, and we'll probably get involved in the defense of marriage, too." in an interview he gave to the Dominionism
proponent Lee Duigon from the Christian Reconstructionist Chalcedon Foundation
.http://www.chalcedon.edu/articles/0408/040801-1duigon.php
The current status of Protest Warrior is unknown:
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
group. It was formed in 2003 by Alan Lipton and Kfir Alfia in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The group is primarily known for organizing counter-protests in favor of the Iraq war. Its slogan was "Fighting the left...doing it right".
History
In February 2003, Alfia was working as a computer chip designer in San FranciscoSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
when he reunited with Alan Lipton, a childhood friend, and crashed an anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
in San Francisco on February 16, 2003.
The two carried their own signs. Alfia's sign showed a woman in a burqa
Burqa
A burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic religion to cover their bodies in public places. The burqa is usually understood to be the woman's loose body-covering , plus the head-covering , plus the face-veil .-Etymology:A speculative and unattested etymology...
tied to a pole with a leash around her neck, and was captioned "Protect Islamic Property Rights Against Western Imperialism. Say No To War!" Lipton's sign said, "Saddam Only Kills His Own People. It's None Of Our Business." Conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
talk-show host Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
covered their counter-protest on his website and complimented the group on its work.
Motivation
Seeing liberals as "morally and politically bankrupt," and as having a monopoly of media attention, Protest Warrior believed that the voices of the left were "heard disproportionately, demoralizing our troops and emboldening dictators around the world."A newsletter on the site published by Alan and Kfir expressed objection to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
itself, rather than fundamentalists in particular:
Method
The group's primary method of activismActivism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
was crashing liberal
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
events, chiefly anti-war protest marches and counter-demonstrating within their ranks. For instance, Protest Warriors attended rallies against Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
, Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, displaying support for these entities. When doing so, the Protest Warriors carried large signs often designed to appear similar to those held by the participants, enabling them to mingle until observers were close enough to read their signs' fine-print
Small Print
Small Print is the debut album by English singer Sam Wedgwood, released in 2006. The album was mastered at Little Tardis Studios and clearly illustrates Sam’s varied, extensive musical tastes and influences, combining a modern acoustic vibe with some funky jazz beats, some dance numbers and real...
. At least once this backfired. In August 2005, counter-protesters supporting George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
during a protest in Crawford, Texas
Crawford, Texas
Crawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
failed to notice the sarcasm and tore up some of the Protest Warriors' signs.
Website
The group maintained a website as an organizing and information hub. It also acted as a source for the many slogans and signs presented by Protest Warriors at protests, as well as offering a sign creation tutorial to registered members. The website also included an online shop. The website also featured numerous forums, but they were shut down without explanation http://forum.protestwarrior.com/index.php on September 13, 2006 and stayed down for about eleven months.The website has been the target of various attempts at politically motivated hacking in the course of its existence. Most notably, in January, 2005 the site was hacked by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
native and anarchist Jeremy Hammond
Jeremy Hammond
-Hacking charges:On March 17, 2005, Hammond's apartment in Chicago was raided by FBI agents who seized his computers, written records and various electronic media. Hammond alleged the FBI agents were verbally abusive towards him during the raid...
, affiliated with the website HackThisSite.org
HackThisSite
HackThisSite.org, commonly referred to as HTS, is an online hacking and security website. The organization has a userbase of well over 1,300,000. The actual number of active members is believed to be much lower, as most accounts are never used, or are only used shortly after creation...
, to steal credit card numbers and shut down the web server. Hammond was indicted in May, 2006, and sentenced to two years in prison on December 7, 2006.
Past operations
Local and National chapters of Protest Warrior have carried out operations in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and abroad.
Examples of past Protest Warrior operations include:
- On January 20, 2005, "Operation Hail to the Chief" drew thirteen Protest Warriors to Washington D.C. to oppose those protesting the second inaugurationJanuary 20, 2005 counter-inaugural protestThe January 20, 2005 counter-inaugural protests were a large number of demonstrations held in Washington, D.C. and other American cities to protest the second inauguration of U.S. President George W. Bush.- Rally at Malcolm X Park :...
of President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24488-2005Jan20.html - During the 2004 Republican National Convention, a group of Protest Warriors staged a counterprotest, "Operation Liberty Rising".http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/headlines/news.jhtml?id=1490667 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126148,00.html
- On August 27, 2005, a group of three Protest Warriors led by co-founder Kfir Alfia was the target of animosity at a conservative counter-Cindy SheehanCindy SheehanCindy Lee Miller Sheehan is an American anti-war activist whose son, U.S. Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed by enemy action during the Iraq War. She attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 for her extended anti-war protest at a makeshift camp outside President...
rally in Crawford, TexasCrawford, TexasCrawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
. Despite the Protest Warriors' assurances that they were on the same side, the conservative protesters repeatedly shouted at them, destroyed the Protest Warrior signs, and forced the Protest Warriors to leave the rally, mistaking them for anti-warAnti-warAn anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
protesters.http://cbs4boston.com/topstories/politicsnational_story_240102651.html - During the Sept. 24, 2005 Anti-War ProtestsSeptember 24, 2005 anti-war protestOn September 24, 2005, many protests against the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the Iraq War took place.- Washington, D.C. :Protesters from around the country joined a march in Washington, D.C. organized by ANSWER Coalition and United for Peace and Justice to promote peace and an end to the war in Iraq....
in Washington D.C., Protest Warrior, along with Move America ForwardMove America ForwardMove America Forward is a conservative political action group based in California that grew out of the campaign to recall California Governor Gray Davis. Move America Forward seeks to advance many conservative causes by lobbying of politicians at the local, state, and federal levels, through media...
, RightMarch and Free RepublicFree RepublicFree Republic is a moderated Internet forum for activists, and chat site for self-described conservatives, primarily within the United States. It presents articles and comments posted pseudonymously by registered members, known as "Freepers", using screen names...
counter-protested those opposed to the war, and also demonstrated in support of the war and troops. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092400852_2.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092401518.html
Current status, future campaigns
Kfir, the founder of Protest Warrior, was quoted: "We're going to be protesting abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
more and more, and we'll probably get involved in the defense of marriage, too." in an interview he gave to the Dominionism
Dominionism
Dominionism is a term used to describe politically active conservative Christians that are believed to conspire and seek influence or control over secular civil government through political action, especially in the United States, with the goal of either a nation governed by Christians, or a nation...
proponent Lee Duigon from the Christian Reconstructionist Chalcedon Foundation
Chalcedon Foundation
The Chalcedon Foundation is a Christian Reconstructionist organization founded by Rousas John Rushdoony. Named for the Council of Chalcedon, it has also included well-known theologians such as Gary North, who later founded his own organization, the Institute for Christian Economics.The Chalcedon...
.http://www.chalcedon.edu/articles/0408/040801-1duigon.php
The current status of Protest Warrior is unknown:
- "ProtestWarrior, LLC", formed as a limited liability companyLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
in Texas in 2003, is currently listed by the state as "Not In Good Standing", meaning that Protest Warrior has failed to file its annual paperwork and pay due taxes/fees. - The main discussion forums for PW closed in September 2006. The public forums were reopened in August 2007 and then subsequently went offline again sometime in 2008.
- On February 21, 2007 a blog was started, announcing an "Protest Warrior 2.0" initiative aimed at revitalizing the organization. Seven articles were written over the span of seven months, with the last entry being dated August 15, 2007.
- On February 19, 2009 the website was offline again and then returned three months later. The website is currently accessible, but the discussion forums, donation solicitation page, and "HQ" sections are either non-functional or have been entirely removed (HTTP Error 404). The latest "News & Updates" section announces a book publication in June, 2007.
External links
- archive.org mirror of Protest Warrior Site
- MSNBC: "Partisan Protesters" NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, 2004-08-13 - Washington Times: "Protest Warriors fuel rage on left" The Washington TimesThe Washington TimesThe Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, 2004-08-24 - Protesting The Protesters, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, 2005-01-20