Demonstrations tied to the Black Lives Matter movement continued through the weekend in cities all over the country. As they marched in — and sometimes blocked — streets, protesters used smartphones to organize, communicate, and document what was happening, as it was happening.
Sociologist Judy Lubin said smartphones make the protest movement more accessible.
“What the smartphone is doing is that it’s almost offering an invitation to people that might not necessarily see themselves as protesters or who maybe in the past have been reluctant to join a protest movement,” she said.
Reverend Gregory Drumwright helped organize one of the demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and said smartphones have become an important tool for justice.
“Society has a body camera,” he said at Black Lives Matter demonstration outside the White House. He pointed out that especially now, with so many options available for live streaming, holding up a smartphone at a protest or when interacting with police means: “It’s not just me that’s watching, the whole world is watching what I see.”
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