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Dressing in uniforms of any sort at a protest does something very specific: It removes the perception of you as an individual and associates you with the pre-existing perceptions of the group whose uniform you wear, regardless of what you intend to be perceived.
I live in Eugene, Oregon, about two hours south of Portland. I have not been to a demonstration in Portland but I have been to many in Eugene. I have spoken to a number of activists (about 50 by now) who wear black clothes and the black bandanna which, in Eugene, is the semi-official uniform of the Anarchist movement. About half of the people I've spoken with have no relationship with the Anarchist movement but consider the all-black + bandanna to be "good protest clothes". Ok. The other half acknowledge support for the Anarchist or sometimes communist groups. Many of these folks are very young (under 25, usually under 21) and are more militant in their expressed desire for confrontation with the police or belief that destruction of property is an appropriate means of protest.
Of the ~50 people I have talked to, four or five (who identified themselves with the Anarchist movement) expressed anger at their fellow protesters for not being extreme enough.
What does this mean? When people in Eugene protest people tend to keep an eye out for what everyone calls "the kids in black". Nobody has any idea whether these people are going to be helpful or harmful or even threatening to their fellow protesters.
Because when you don a uniform of any sort, as I said above, you associate yourself with the pre-existing perceptions of the group whose uniform you wear. Before you open your mouth or say a word you are making a statement, which you have no control over, in the minds of those observing you. Maybe they've had good experiences with people wearing black jeans, black hoodies and bandannas or maybe not, but all those associations come flooding back because they don't see you, they see your uniform.
This is universal. Policemen, soldiers, fast-food employees, Shriners...whatever: People see the uniform and a memory of previous interactions are tapped. Those interactions color the perceptions of those wearing the uniform.
I agree with the young lady in the video that the corporate media lies. But she's missing something. Anyone can don her uniform and do whatever they want and it reflects poorly (when those actions break the law or threaten other citizens/protesters) on all those who "wear the uniform". In fact, I've been positive that several times police or "friends of the police" have dressed in "the uniform" just to break up demonstrations or turn them from peaceful to threatening. I understand the desire to conceal one's identity with the bandanna but the "all-black" uniform is just too loaded with charged memories for many people.
I like the gentleman who included pink in his "uniform" because it changes (to some extent) how he is being perceived. If I hadn't made such a point to talk with protesters like this I might think they're all the same, too. Of course, they're not. But that's how perception works and I think people need to move away from the all-black uniform if they want to be accepted as constructive members of a protest. Otherwise, they're going to have to go out of their way to self-police other people who are also wearing the uniform, which is nearly impossible.
PB
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