The Changing Dynamics of Protest: Political Hashtagging, Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, & Hacktivism
The Changing Dynamics of Protest: Political Hashtagging, Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, & Hacktivism
December 18, 2020
Young Nigerians have taken to the streets demanding the shut down of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) due to police brutality. They have been chanting “Enough is Enough,” for nearly two weeks. #EndSARS was trending globally for several days after video footage was released, depicting SARS officers shooting a young man and driving off in his vehicle, committing the very crime they were set up to address.
In 1992 SARS was formed to address armed robberies and other violent threats, using almost any measure necessary. They do not wear uniforms or carry identification and they have been accused of committing brutal torture, extrajudicial killings, and sexual violence against offenders. The rallying hashtag #EndSARS has received attention internationally, been tweeted out by many US celebrities, and as of October 16, been mentioned on Twitter around 48 million times. Protests in Nigeria resulted in a military ambush, leaving at least 12 protestors dead. To pay for medical assistance to injured protestors, the Feminist Coalition raised $400,000 partially using Bitcoin. They chose cryptocurrency after seeing that bank transactions and online payment links to facilitate donation had stopped working. Additionally, the hacktivist group Anonymous hacked the Twitter account of Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission(NBC), threatened to release Nigerian officials’ secrets.