Miami model
Encyclopedia
The Miami model is a term used to describe the tactics employed by law enforcement agencies
during demonstrations in Miami, Florida
relating to the negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA) trade agreement in November 2003. Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle responded to allegations of police brutality
saying "The police were very professional, very controlled... I think we have a model here for the rest of the world to emulate in the future when these sort of events take place." Further allegations and complaints were met with assurances by authorities that police had acted 'according to plan'. Political activists continue to use the term to refer to a framework of similar tactics used by law enforcement in subsequent events, including trade meetings and political conventions.
technique used in Miami, which included large scale pre-emptive arrest
s, heavily armed sometimes unidentifiable law enforcement, the collection of intelligence from protesters, and the "embedding" of corporate media with the police. Additionally, areas that are to be the site of a major event are given large federal grants to purchase materials for security. Thus, police may be unfamiliar with the use of the new equipment they have been given and rural police brought in to the city may be somewhat unfamiliar with crowd control tactics in general. Protestors and activists allege some of the following as further tactics belonging to the Miami model:
filed a federal lawsuit against the City, the Mayor, Police Chief Timoney, Homeland Defense Secretary Ridge, and Attorney General Ashcroft for rampant abuse of the constitution.
Among the groups which organized against the FTAA were the Green Bloc, United for Peace and Justice, Root Cause
, several AFL-CIO
affiliated unions, Midwest Unrest
, Pittsburgh Organizing Group
, Food Not Bombs
and many others.
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
during demonstrations in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
relating to the negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas
Free Trade Area of the Americas
The Free Trade Area of the Americas , , ) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas but Cuba. In the last round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal...
(FTAA) trade agreement in November 2003. Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle responded to allegations of police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
saying "The police were very professional, very controlled... I think we have a model here for the rest of the world to emulate in the future when these sort of events take place." Further allegations and complaints were met with assurances by authorities that police had acted 'according to plan'. Political activists continue to use the term to refer to a framework of similar tactics used by law enforcement in subsequent events, including trade meetings and political conventions.
Features
This term refers to the distinctive features of crowd controlCrowd control
Crowd control is the controlling of a crowd, to prevent the outbreak of disorder and prevention of possible riot. Examples are at soccer matches, when a sale of goods has attracted an excess of customers, refugee control, or mass decontamination and mass quarantine situations . It calls for gentler...
technique used in Miami, which included large scale pre-emptive arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
s, heavily armed sometimes unidentifiable law enforcement, the collection of intelligence from protesters, and the "embedding" of corporate media with the police. Additionally, areas that are to be the site of a major event are given large federal grants to purchase materials for security. Thus, police may be unfamiliar with the use of the new equipment they have been given and rural police brought in to the city may be somewhat unfamiliar with crowd control tactics in general. Protestors and activists allege some of the following as further tactics belonging to the Miami model:
- Establishment of joint, unified, multi-agency command/control network.
- Mass purchase of surveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
equipment, riot gear and other supplies. - Training of local law enforcement in "crowd control tactics" and less lethal weapons.
- Public relations, "information warfareInformation warfareThe term Information Warfare is primarily an American concept involving the use and management of information technology in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent...
", newspeakNewspeakNewspeak is a fictional language in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the novel, it refers to the deliberately impoverished language promoted by the state. Orwell included an essay about it in the form of an appendix in which the basic principles of the language are explained...
/spinSpin (public relations)In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...
:- "terrorists/violent protesters coming" vs "well trained officers".
- "event meaningful target for terrorism."
- "police will protect the right to protest."
- "anarchists and criminal elements", dramatic Seattle WTO or London imagery.
- display of confiscated "weapons" prove malintent.
- "unpermitted protests can continue" due to police good will.
- independent mediaIndependent mediaIndependent media refers to any form of media, such as radio, television, newspapers or the Internet, that is free of influence by government or corporate interests. The term has varied applications...
targeted, cameras, video confiscated.
- Pro-event/anti-demonstrator promotional tools developed/used in community.
- Reluctant officials, civic groups pressured to comply with plan by Secret ServiceUnited States Secret ServiceThe United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
/DHSUnited States Department of Homeland SecurityThe United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
. - Locations strategically valuable to protesters reserved by law enforcement.
- Plans to secure public buildings and strategic private businesses complete.
- Anti-protest ordinances and other legal hurdles to prevent lawful assembly begin.
- State of Emergency declared or Executive Order signed to allow military policing.
- Surveillance and disruption of protest organizers begins.
- Attempts to divide protest groups and organizers begins in media and meetings.
- Court system tied up: regular business delayed during protest; assist mass arrestMass arrestA mass arrest occurs when the police apprehend large numbers of suspects at once. This sometimes occurs at illegal protests. Some mass arrests are also used in an effort combat gang activity. This is sometimes controversial, and lawsuits sometimes result...
s. - Mass detention facilities identified and prepped for use.
- Civic groups and clubs employed to support law enforcement activities.
- March and event permits denied or delayed; delay tactics.
- Police/military collaborate with media, i.e. embedded reporters, etc.
- Street level surveillance increases on organizers and demonstrators.
- Public training drills and mass show of force.
- Sporadic harassment, detention and arrest of demonstrators traveling in area.
- Disruption of organizing/assembly/housing/media spaces. Possible preemptive arrest.
- Command Center operational; large undercover teams begin reporting
- Militarized "hard zone" and limited access "soft zone" created with fences, barricades.
- Area wide surveillance video, including 3-D video systems operational.
- Field forces (riot policeRiot controlRiot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...
, bike police, checkpoints, etc.) put into place. - Day of protest: assembly blocked, obstructed, redirected.
- Use of less-lethal weaponLess-lethal weaponNon-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than are conventional weapons...
s - projectilesRubber bulletRubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...
, chemical weaponsLachrymatory agentTear gas, formally known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator , is a non-lethal chemical weapon that stimulates the corneal nerves in the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even blindness...
, electric weapons, sound devices etc. - Streets cleared using force; protesters pursued; more mass arrest.
- Jail solidarityJail solidarityJail solidarity is unity of purpose of those incarcerated or imprisoned. In some mass arrest situations, the activists decide to use solidarity tactics to secure the same plea bargain for everyone...
events allowed to protest for few hours, then cleared.
Miami protests
Miami Activist Defense and National Lawyers GuildNational Lawyers Guild
The National Lawyers Guild is an advocacy group in the United States "dedicated to the need for basic and progressive change in the structure of our political and economic system . ....
filed a federal lawsuit against the City, the Mayor, Police Chief Timoney, Homeland Defense Secretary Ridge, and Attorney General Ashcroft for rampant abuse of the constitution.
Among the groups which organized against the FTAA were the Green Bloc, United for Peace and Justice, Root Cause
Root cause
A root cause is rarely an initiating cause of a causal chain which leads to an outcome or effect of interest. Commonly, root cause is misused to describe the depth in the causal chain where an intervention could reasonably be implemented to change performance and prevent an undesirable outcome.In...
, several AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
affiliated unions, Midwest Unrest
Midwest Unrest
Midwest Unrest was a small collective in Chicago formed by anarchists and anti-capitalists in a planning meeting for that city's mobilization to the protests against the Free Trade Area of the Americas summit in Miami in November 2003...
, Pittsburgh Organizing Group
Pittsburgh Organizing Group
Pittsburgh Organizing Group, often referred to as POG, was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based anarchist organization concerned with anti-militarism, social and economic justice, labor solidarity and police brutality issues locally, nationally, and internationally...
, Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives, serving free vegan and vegetarian food to others. Food Not Bombs' ideology is that myriad corporate and government priorities are skewed to allow hunger to persist in the midst of abundance...
and many others.
Film
The Miami Model is also the title of a documentary film, produced by Indymedia, about the FTAA, the police action in Miami, and political organizing led by people of color in the Miami area.See also
- 2004 Republican National Convention protest activity2004 Republican National Convention protest activity2004 Republican National Convention protest activity includes the broad range of marches, rallies, performances, demonstrations, exhibits, and acts of civil disobedience in New York City to protest the 2004 Republican National Convention and the nomination of President George W. Bush for the 2004 U.S...
- 2008 Democratic National Convention2008 Democratic National ConventionThe United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver, Colorado - 2008 Republican National Convention2008 Republican National ConventionThe United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
in Saint Paul, Minnesota
External links
- Watch The Miami Model film on archive.org
- The Miami Model DVD an Indymedia documentary
- Picture Gallery