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{{merge to|Protests against the Iraq War|discuss=Talk:Protest Warrior#Proposal_to_merge_Protest_Warrior_into_Protests_Against_the_Iraq_War|date=October 2024}}
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{{short description|American political activist group}}
'''Protest Warrior''' is a ] ] ] protest group. It is an international organization with mostly ] members; its main focus is on the U.S. and ]. The group was formed in ] by ] and ] in ]. Its slogan is "Fighting the left... doing it right".
{{Citation style|date=March 2012}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
'''Protest Warrior''' was a conservative ] ] group. It was formed in 2003 by Alan Lipton and Kfir Alfia in ]. The group is primarily known for organizing counter-protests in favor of the ]. Its slogan is "Fighting the left...doing it right".<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909150934/http://www.protestwarrior.com/ |date=September 9, 2009 }}, Protest Warrior</ref> As of 2015, it was inactive.


==Motivation== ==History==
In February 2003, Alfia was working as a computer chip designer in ] when he reunited with Alan Lipton, a childhood friend, and crashed an ] ] in San Francisco on February 16, 2003.<ref> Warriors of the Right Take to the Streets</ref>
Protest Warrior believes that ] constitute a threat to the future of ] and ], and would inevitably result in ] ]s. Seeing "]s" (in the U.S. usage of the term) as "morally and politically bankrupt" and having a monopoly of media attention, Protest Warrior believes that the voices of the left "are heard disproportionately, demoralizing our troops, and emboldening dictators around the world."


The two carried their own signs. Alfia's sign showed a woman in a ] tied to a pole with a leash around her neck, and was captioned "Protect Islamic Property Rights Against Western Imperialism. Say No To War!" Lipton's sign said, "Saddam Only Kills His Own People. It's None Of Our Business." ] ] host ] covered their counter-protest on his website and complimented the group on its work.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Washington Times|first=Chris|last=Jolma|date=November 18, 2003|title=Protest Warriors New Movement}}</ref>
Generally accepted ideas {{citation needed}} in the Protest Warrior community include support for the ] and ], opposition to ] as dangerous, threatening, oppressive. A newsletter on the site published by Alan and Kfir expressed objection to ] itself, rather than fundamentalists in particular:

:"What's becoming clear is how the religion of Islam is addicted to war and mayhem. Not a radical minority, not a rogue sect, but its very essence is about submission and sacrifice and proving your worth by worshipping death in this life to gain a paradise of orgies and drunkenness. Their entire history is of warfare, and any accomplishments of their so-called Golden Age has been proven to be merely parasitic off the cultures they've conquered and reduced to dhimmi servitude. That every country under sharia is corrupt, belligerent, desolate and barbaric obviously gives them no pause, except to constantly drive them into further psychotic rage as they refuse to ever accept any responsibility for their conditions. They are akin to the powers in Orwell's 1984; there must always be an enemy. It's no surprise that women are treated like property in these countries as that's the only way Muslim men can feed their egos, to dominate others rather than ever actually produce something."

Most members also express opposition to ] and current immigration proposals of the ], support for free enterprise and fiscally conservative economics, a disbelief in ] {{verify source}}, general support and respect for U.S. military institutions as the "defenders of freedom", and support for ]. <!-- (the extent for this may vary) //"may vary" is an arbitrary qualifier.-->

==Methodology==

The group's primary method of activism is crashing left-wing events, chiefly ] marches, and counter-demonstrating within their ranks. For instance, Protest Warriors have attended rallies against ], ], ], and ], displaying support for these causes. When doing so, the Protest Warriors carry large signs often designed to appear similar to those held by the participants of the event they are ], enabling them to mingle until observers are close enough to read their signs' ] ].

<b>Examples of Protest Warrior Signs:</b>

* "Saddam only kills his own people. It's none of our business!"
* "Except for ending slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, war has never solved anything!"
* "Islam - Religion of Peace'

After large operations, videos are posted documenting the events. The videos include confrontations with other protesters and the reactions of those protesters. Protest Warriors claim that these videos demonstrate that leftists' "true feelings and agendas...have nothing to with hating war, and everything to do with hating America."

<B>Tactics</B>

Protest warriors have engaged in various tactics when infiltrating protests. These have included:

*Dressing up as a fake suicide bomber while holding a sign reading, "Honk for Hamas".

These tactics are intended to turn public sentiment against the surrounding demonstrators.

==Reactions==
] ] host ] featured a Protest Warrior action in ] on his website and complimented the group on its work.

As documented by ]'s San Francisco affiliate and elsewhere, a group of Protest Warriors led by founder Kfir Alfia were the target of animosity at a conservative counter-] rally in Crawford, Texas. Despite the Protest Warriors' assurances that they were on the same side, the other protesters repeatedly shouted "Go home!", destroyed the Protest Warrior signs and forced the Protest Warriors to leave the rally, mistaking them for anti-war protestors.


==Motivation==
Seeing ] as "morally and politically bankrupt," and as having a monopoly of media attention, Protest Warrior believes that the voices of the "left" are "heard disproportionately, demoralizing our troops and emboldening dictators around the world."<ref> Protest Warrior: Mission Statement</ref>


== Method ==
The group's primary method of ] is crashing ] events, chiefly ] marches and counter-demonstrating within their ranks. For instance, Protest Warriors attended rallies against ], ], ], and ] ], displaying support for these entities. When doing so, the Protest Warriors carry large signs often designed to appear similar to those held by the participants, enabling them to mingle until observers are close enough to read their signs' ].


==Website== ==Website==
] <!-- Unsourced image removed: ] -->
The group maintains a ] as an organizing and information hub. It also acts as a source for the many slogans and signs presented by Protest Warriors at protests, as well as offering various tutorials on sign creation. A shop is also run from the website, to help cover the costs of keeping the website and organisation running. The group maintains a website as an organizing and information hub. It also acts as a source for the many slogans and signs presented by Protest Warriors at protests, as well as offering a sign creation tutorial to registered members. The website also includes an online shop. The website also featured numerous forums, but they were shut down without explanation <ref> </ref> on September 13, 2006, and currently return a ] error.


The website has been the target of various attempts at politically motivated ] in the course of its existence. Most notably, in January, 2005 the site was hacked by ] native ], affiliated with the website ], to steal credit card numbers and shut down the web server. Hammond was indicted in May, 2006, <!-- Non RS V Blog ref removed:<ref name="Brain Terminal">{{cite web
The active forums of Protest Warrior have a large selection of topics for discussion; the group prides itself on permitting people of any ideology to join in on the discussions. According to Protest Warriors, very few users have been banned, but when they have been banned it was typically for posting obscene material such as ], repeated spamming, and for deliberate personal attacks, but unpopular speech, including ] speech is not a bannable offense. In July 2006 an active-duty-military Protest Warrior "made death threats against another user" a Muslim, causing "credible legal threats" for Protest Warrior. Because of this, any sort of physical threat is no longer allowed on the forum.
| url = http://brain-terminal.com/posts/2006/05/31/indictment-in-protestwarrior-hack-case
| title = Brain Terminal
| access-date = 2006-12-16
}}</ref>--> and sentenced to two years in prison on December 7, 2006.<ref name="Chicago Tribune">{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0612080286dec08,1,689768.story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true |title=Chicago Tribune |website=] |access-date=2006-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106142519/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0612080286dec08,1,689768.story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true |archive-date=January 6, 2007 }}</ref>


==Past operations==
Protest Warrior's administrators/founders have pursued legal action against people who have used their website for criminal or potentially criminal purposes, such as Jay Czaja, a military member who began stalking a female member of the forums between January and February 2005, Jeremy Hammond, an individual affiliated with , who hacked Protest Warrior's website as an attempt at "]", illegally gaining access to sensitive information, including hundreds of the site members' credit card numbers, allegedly intending to commit credit card theft. Hammond was caught by Protest Warrior and the group subsequently pursued charges against Hammond through the FBI. A search warrant was issued for Hammond's home and Hammond was indicted by a grand jury on May 23, 2006 for violating US Code Title 18, Sections 1030 (a)(2)(c) and 2.
Local and National chapters of Protest Warrior have carried out operations in the ] and abroad. Examples of past Protest Warrior operations include:


*On January 20, 2005, "Operation Hail to the Chief" drew thirteen Protest Warriors to Washington D.C. to oppose ] of President ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24488-2005Jan20.html |title=Protesting the Protesters |newspaper=Washington Post |date=2005-01-20 }}</ref>
Current ] traffic statistics are <P>
*During the 2004 Republican National Convention, a group of Protest Warriors staged a counterprotest, "Operation Liberty Rising".<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610004632/http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/headlines/news.jhtml?id=1490667 |title=MTV.com - Choose or Lose - Headlines |website=] |archive-date=2007-06-10 |url=http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/headlines/news.jhtml?id=1490667 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/conservatives-to-protest-gop-convention-protests |title=FOXNews.com - Conservatives to Protest GOP Convention Protests - You Decide 2004 |website=] |access-date=October 28, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523100830/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126148,00.html |archive-date=May 23, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*On August 27, 2005, a group of three Protest Warriors led by co-founder Kfir Alfia was the target of animosity at a conservative counter-] rally in ]. Despite the Protest Warriors' assurances that they were on the same side, the conservative protesters repeatedly shouted at them, destroyed the Protest Warrior signs, and forced the Protest Warriors to leave the rally, mistaking them for ] protesters.<ref> {{dead link|date=February 2020}}</ref>{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*During the ] in Washington D.C., Protest Warrior, along with ], ] and ] counter-protested those opposed to the war, and also demonstrated in support of the war and troops.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092400852_2.html |title=Antiwar Protests Commence in Washington |newspaper=Washington Post }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092401518.html |title=Smaller but Spirited Crowd Protests Antiwar March |newspaper=Washington Post }}</ref>


==Current status, future campaigns ==
== Past operations==
Local and National chapters of Protest Warrior have carried out operations in the United States and abroad. The current status of Protest Warrior is unknown:
Examples of past Protest Warrior operations include:


* "ProtestWarrior, LLC", formed as a ] in Texas in 2003, is currently listed by the state as "Not In Good Standing",<ref name="texas_comptroller1">{{cite web|url=http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/servlet/cpa.app.coa.CoaGetTp?Pg=tpid&Search_Nm=ProtestWarrior%20&Button=search&Search_ID=13836848054 |title=Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts |access-date=2006-11-17 }} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> meaning that Protest Warrior has failed to file its annual paperwork and pay due taxes/fees.<ref name="texas_comptroller2">{{cite web|url=http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/taxinfo/audit/audproc/1gp_r2.htm |title=Franchise Tax Determination of Good Standing |access-date=2006-11-17 }} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
*On January 20, 2005, Protest Warrior National<B> 'Operation Hail to the Chief'</B> drew thirteen Protest Warriors to Washington D.C. to oppose those protesting the second inauguration of President ].
* The main discussion forums for PW closed in September 2006. The public forums were reopened in August 2007 and then subsequently went offline again sometime in 2008.
*''''Operation Military Shield'''' took place October 31st 2004 in Miami, Florida. Members of Protest Warrior first warned the local recruiters of a planned protest, then counterprotested at an anti-military demonstration outside of the recruting center.
* On February 21, 2007 a blog was started, announcing a "Protest Warrior 2.0" initiative aimed at revitalizing the organization.<ref name="pw_blog">{{cite web
*<B>'Operation Tiger Claw'</B> took place in May 2004, and consisted of a lone high school student posting Protest Warrior signs in the halls and classrooms of his high school, and his confrontations with the school administration, after they deemed the signs racist. <!-- please add documented reliable verifiable info on other campaigns here -->
| url = http://protestwarrior.blogspot.com/2007/02/protestwarrior-20-has-started.html
| title = Protest Warrior Blog
| date = February 21, 2007
| access-date = 2009-09-14
}}</ref> Seven articles were written over the span of seven months, with the last entry being dated August 15, 2007.
* On February 19, 2009 the website was offline again and then returned three months later. The website is currently accessible, but the discussion forums, donation solicitation page, and "HQ" sections are either non-functional or have been entirely removed (HTTP Error 404). The latest "News & Updates" section announces a book publication in June, 2007.<ref name="pw_website">{{cite web
|url = http://www.protestwarrior.com
|title = Protest Warrior Website
|access-date = 2009-09-14
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090909150934/http://www.protestwarrior.com/
|archive-date = 2009-09-09
}}</ref>


==See also==
==Future campaigns ==
* ]
Kfir, the founder of Protest Warrior, was quoted saying that the organization will be expanding its operations to counter-protest at ] rallies, ] rallies and other rallies to show strong support for ] in the future, according to an interview he gave to the ] proponent from the ] ].


==References==
Kfir claimed, on the PW forum, almost two years after the article was published, that he had been misquoted.
{{Reflist}}

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==External links== ==External links==
* *
* * '']'', 2004-08-13
* * '']'', 2004-08-24
* , '']'', 2005-01-20
*
* * Mar 02, 2005
*
*
*


]
]
]
]
]
]
]


]
]
]
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]

Latest revision as of 09:05, 27 October 2024

It has been suggested that this article be merged into Protests against the Iraq War. (Discuss) Proposed since October 2024.
American political activist group
This article has an unclear citation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting. (March 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Protest Warrior was a conservative political activist group. It was formed in 2003 by Alan Lipton and Kfir Alfia in Austin, Texas. The group is primarily known for organizing counter-protests in favor of the Iraq war. Its slogan is "Fighting the left...doing it right". As of 2015, it was inactive.

History

In February 2003, Alfia was working as a computer chip designer in San Francisco when he reunited with Alan Lipton, a childhood friend, and crashed an anti-war protest in San Francisco on February 16, 2003.

The two carried their own signs. Alfia's sign showed a woman in a burqa tied to a pole with a leash around her neck, and was captioned "Protect Islamic Property Rights Against Western Imperialism. Say No To War!" Lipton's sign said, "Saddam Only Kills His Own People. It's None Of Our Business." Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh covered their counter-protest on his website and complimented the group on its work.

Motivation

Seeing liberals as "morally and politically bankrupt," and as having a monopoly of media attention, Protest Warrior believes that the voices of the "left" are "heard disproportionately, demoralizing our troops and emboldening dictators around the world."

Method

The group's primary method of activism is crashing liberal events, chiefly anti-war protest marches and counter-demonstrating within their ranks. For instance, Protest Warriors attended rallies against Halliburton, Caterpillar Inc., Israel, and U.S. President George W. Bush, displaying support for these entities. When doing so, the Protest Warriors carry large signs often designed to appear similar to those held by the participants, enabling them to mingle until observers are close enough to read their signs' fine-print.

Website

The group maintains a website as an organizing and information hub. It also acts as a source for the many slogans and signs presented by Protest Warriors at protests, as well as offering a sign creation tutorial to registered members. The website also includes an online shop. The website also featured numerous forums, but they were shut down without explanation on September 13, 2006, and currently return a HTTP 404 error.

The website has been the target of various attempts at politically motivated hacking in the course of its existence. Most notably, in January, 2005 the site was hacked by Chicago native Jeremy Hammond, affiliated with the website HackThisSite.org, to steal credit card numbers and shut down the web server. Hammond was indicted in May, 2006, and sentenced to two years in prison on December 7, 2006.

Past operations

Local and National chapters of Protest Warrior have carried out operations in the United States and abroad. Examples of past Protest Warrior operations include:

  • On January 20, 2005, "Operation Hail to the Chief" drew thirteen Protest Warriors to Washington D.C. to oppose those protesting the second inauguration of President George W. Bush.
  • During the 2004 Republican National Convention, a group of Protest Warriors staged a counterprotest, "Operation Liberty Rising".
  • On August 27, 2005, a group of three Protest Warriors led by co-founder Kfir Alfia was the target of animosity at a conservative counter-Cindy Sheehan rally in Crawford, Texas. Despite the Protest Warriors' assurances that they were on the same side, the conservative protesters repeatedly shouted at them, destroyed the Protest Warrior signs, and forced the Protest Warriors to leave the rally, mistaking them for anti-war protesters.
  • During the Sept. 24, 2005 Anti-War Protests in Washington D.C., Protest Warrior, along with Move America Forward, RightMarch and Free Republic counter-protested those opposed to the war, and also demonstrated in support of the war and troops.

Current status, future campaigns

The current status of Protest Warrior is unknown:

  • "ProtestWarrior, LLC", formed as a limited liability company in Texas in 2003, is currently listed by the state as "Not In Good Standing", meaning that Protest Warrior has failed to file its annual paperwork and pay due taxes/fees.
  • The main discussion forums for PW closed in September 2006. The public forums were reopened in August 2007 and then subsequently went offline again sometime in 2008.
  • On February 21, 2007 a blog was started, announcing a "Protest Warrior 2.0" initiative aimed at revitalizing the organization. Seven articles were written over the span of seven months, with the last entry being dated August 15, 2007.
  • On February 19, 2009 the website was offline again and then returned three months later. The website is currently accessible, but the discussion forums, donation solicitation page, and "HQ" sections are either non-functional or have been entirely removed (HTTP Error 404). The latest "News & Updates" section announces a book publication in June, 2007.

See also

References

  1. Protest Warrior Archived September 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Protest Warrior
  2. New York Times, Alan Feuer, September 3rd, 2004 Warriors of the Right Take to the Streets
  3. Jolma, Chris (November 18, 2003). "Protest Warriors New Movement". Washington Times.
  4. Protest Warrior Protest Warrior: Mission Statement
  6. "Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2006.
  7. "Protesting the Protesters". Washington Post. January 20, 2005.
  8. "MTV.com - Choose or Lose - Headlines". MTV. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007.
  9. "FOXNews.com - Conservatives to Protest GOP Convention Protests - You Decide 2004". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2006.
  11. "Antiwar Protests Commence in Washington". Washington Post.
  12. "Smaller but Spirited Crowd Protests Antiwar March". Washington Post.
  13. "Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts". Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  14. "Franchise Tax Determination of Good Standing". Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  15. "Protest Warrior Blog". February 21, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  16. "Protest Warrior Website". Archived from the original on September 9, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2009.

External links

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