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Clowns, superheroes disrupt Seattle “May Day” march: This year’s labor and immigration march in Seattle was relatively peaceful compared to last year’s violent riot between anarchists, local businesses and the police. KPLU reports Wednesday’s march was “relatively peaceful” according to police, with the exception of a “brief disturbance” between people dressed as superheroes and people dressed as clowns. [More from KPLU]
Normal. Clearly.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/3f570e0cb8654de8aee801aa0af7d25e/tumblr_mm5alkugW31qz5ew6o1_r1_500.png)
Clowns, superheroes disrupt Seattle “May Day” march: This year’s labor and immigration march in Seattle was relatively peaceful compared to last year’s violent riot between anarchists, local businesses and the police. KPLU reports Wednesday’s march was “relatively peaceful” according to police, with the exception of a “brief disturbance” between people dressed as superheroes and people dressed as clowns. [More from KPLU]
Normal. Clearly.
The Internet Defense League
The Internet can always use more heroes and Alexis Ohanian, founder of Reddit, and Fight for the Future have formed the Internet Defense League to make it so.
Public enemy number one: ACTA and CISPA style legislation that seems to sprout like mushrooms these days.
Via Forbes:
Ohanian describes the project, which they plan to officially launch next month, as a “Bat-Signal for the Internet.” Any website owner can sign up on the group’s website to add a bit of code to his or her site–or receive that code by email at the time of a certain campaign–that can be triggered in the case of a political crisis like SOPA, adding an activist call-to-action to all the sites involved, such as a widget or banner asking users to sign petitions, call lawmakers, or boycott companies.
“People who wish to be tapped can see, oh look, the Bat-Signal is up. Time to do something,” says Ohanian. “Whatever website you own, this is a way for you to be notified if something comes up and take some basic actions…If we aggregate everyone that’s doing it, the numbers start exploding.”
Developers are encouraged to join the League. GitHub is here, a Google Group here and Tracker is here.
Love that Alexis Ohanian has jumped into online activism with both feet. It may be an even bigger gift to the Web than Reddit was.
The movement has grown majorly. What I tell these guys is, `You’re no longer in the shadows. You’re in a new era. … Build trust. Set standards. Make the real-life superheroes work to earn that title and take some kind of oath.’Writer Edward Stinson • Discussing the advice he gives the large number of real-life superheroes — at least 660 in total, according to RealLifeSuperheroes.org. Don’t let the situation with Phoenix Jones fool you into thinking that Jones is alone. There are superheroes all over the world, and they’re quickly learning that their work is becoming more high-profile. Despite the mocking plots in movies from Blankman to Kick-Ass, real-life superheroes have existed since at least the 1970s, when San Diego’s Captain Sticky paved the way for crime-fighting in a costume. We love the fact that this story exists. source (via • follow)
In addition to being Phoenix Jones. I am also Ben Fodor, a father and brother. I am just like everybody else. The only difference is that I try to stop crime.Ben “Phoenix Jones” Fodor • Talking about his arrest by Seattle authorities — who accuse him of pepper-spraying a number of people. He, meanwhile, claims he was trying to break up a fight. He hasn’t yet been charged, but officials are considering doing so. Either way, the extra attention from the arrest led to the public finding out about his secret persona — a MMA fighter named Flattop. Rather than withering under the extra attention he’s received, Mr. Jones has offered to let the public follow him on his next crime-fighting adventure. However, if you do so, you’ll be going against police wishes. “If you see something that warrants calling 911, call 911,” said police spokesman Mark Jamieson. ”You don’t need to dress up in a costume to do that.” source (via • follow)
Remember the superhero we posted about last night? You know, Phoenix Jones, the one who got arrested for allegedly pepper spraying people? Here he is. His real identity is Ben “Flattop” Fodor, which sounds like it could also be the name of a superhero. Instead, he’s an MMA fighter who apparently lives a life out of a comic book. The worst indignity of all, however? From the article: “Police have since confiscated his costume.”
Seattle “superhero” Phoenix Jones arrested for allegedly pepper-spraying people: Today in bizarre stories which somehow rival this one for utter weirdness and also share the same basic plot with two different movies released in the past 18 months.
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