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Libertarians Use Web 2.0 To Protest Arrest At Jefferson Memorial

What would Thomas Jefferson think about Web 2.0? Libertarians gathered earlier this week at the Jefferson Memorial to dance silently for 10 minutes (listening to music on iPods) in celebration of the founder's birthday. When police came along and ordered them to disperse, one dancer failed to obey, and she was led away in handcuffs. Since then, libertarians have used BlackBerrys and cell phone cameras to spread the word and drum up support for the woman they're calling the "Jefferson One."

Ars Technica writes:

Perhaps more remarkable than the severe reaction to an intransigent dancer is how quickly her friends settled on a division of labor after the arrest. Five or six would travel to the station to await her release; the rest pulled out their cell phones and began sending Twitters, e-mails, and photographs to friends at home. Dozens of blogs soon linked accounts of the arrest, and one outraged reader in Wisconsin has even posted a call on Craigslist for others to repeat the dance party next weekend in protest. If charges are not dismissed before a scheduled April 29 court date -- since the incident occurred on federal property, the case will be handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office -- the video and photos of the arrest are likely to figure in [Brooke] Oberwetter's defense.

Local bloggers picked up the story, as did the news-satire site Fark. Friends of the arrested dancer set up a Web site and a Facebook group on behalf of "the Jefferson One," and by Monday, a video of the dancing and arrest had been posted on YouTube.

Sgt. Robert Lachance, a spokesman for the United States Park Police, explains that this charge includes the failure to obey a lawful order by a park officer, and quotes from the arrest report, which referred to "one subject" who "did not comply with multiple requests to leave the area." As for the dance party itself, Lachance notes that federal regulations designate certain areas that are "meant to be tranquil and quiet," including the inner chamber of the Jefferson Memorial. That precludes making too much noise -- signs at the Memorial enjoin quiet -- or any behavior that "has a propensity to draw a crowd of onlookers."

The incident is a perfect example of a phenomenon that Clay Shirky writes about in the recent book and blog Here Comes Everybody. He describes how the Internet and Web 2.0 allow people to organize quickly, for political action or any purpose, and oppose big institutional interests. We interviewed Shirky a few weeks ago on InformationWeek Live (scroll down to Past Episodes and the Feb. 26, 2008, recording).

What do you think? Is Web 2.0 changing the political balance in America? Elsewhere in the world?

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