DC Activists Stage “Virtual Sit-in” on Local Politician’s Facebook Pages
Also published on The Huffington Post
Back in the day, a “sit-in” meant just that — taking over a physical space with physical bodies to make a political point. But the visibility of social media means that sit-ins aren’t just for university administrative offices anymore; now they can be staged online.
For a good example, check out the “virtual sit-in” begun by the District’s own Save Our Safety Net campaign last week, targeting DC city councilmember and mayoral candidate Vincent Gray’s Facebook pages. In the first two days alone, activists filled his council page and campaign page with over 150 messages, in a very public display of their desire to keep adequate funding for social programs for the District’s poor. Critically, as the DCist article about the sit-in notes, organizers followed up their online activism with an in-person visit, completing that vital online/offline political connection.
2 comments May 17th, 2010 Trackback Bookmark on del.icio.us
