Maptivism in London
Demonstrators took to the streets of London today to protest against a bill that would raise tuition fees for university students. This was the latest in a number of protests that have been organized over the past few weeks. Participants have been using a mix of traditional and online tactics to organize and a new tool was introduced today: a live protest map. (Learn more about the use of mapping for advocacy and activism here.)
Maintained by the UCL Occupation group, the map has been constantly updated in real-time throughout the day. Participants on the ground have been asked to submit reports using a shortened URL that directs them to a page where they can add an event and location, as well as optional contact information. Details are then updated on the Google Map.
The map has been primarily used to update protesters on the position of the police in central London. This helps the protesters avoid being "kettled" (corralled and held in a particular area). In past events around the world, Twitter has been commonly used to share updates about the movement of protesters on the ground and police activities, but this is one of the first times we’ve seen Google Maps being used to do so. The map has already been viewed over 30,000 times today and is just one tool being used alongside a number of others, including Twitter, Facebook, and websites. The hashtags #dayx3 and #fees have topped Twitter’s worldwide trends as well.
As night fell on London, Parliament voted to pass the tuition fees bill (winning by a majority of 21 votes) and police continued to “kettle” (detain) protesters in central London. The UCL Occupation issued a statement, which read:
“The fact that the bill passed by only 21 votes, and 3 members of the government resigned rather than support it, is undoubtedly due to the protests, occupations and campaigns organised by school and university students, teachers, lecturers and our supporters. Without the huge wave of protest in recent weeks this vote would have passed by a far bigger majority. Direct action works.”
Have you seen this type of real-time maptivism used elsewhere? Do you think it is a useful tactic? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
