Sukey is an organization which emerged in Britain on 28 January 2011 with the aim of improving communications among participants in the student demonstrations

2010 UK student protests

The 2010 UK student protests were a series of demonstrations that began in November 2010 in several areas of the United Kingdom, with the focal point of protests centred in London. The initial event was the largest student protest in the UK since the Labour government first proposed the Teaching...

. Its immediate aim was to counteract the police tactics of kettling

Kettling

Kettling is a police tactic for controlling large crowds during demonstrations or protests. It involves the formation of large cordons of police officers who then move to contain a crowd within a limited area. Protesters are left only one choice of exit, determined by the police, or are completely...

, by co-ordinating information electronically and transmitting it to the protesters, allowing them to avoid the police kettle

Sukey was founded by Sam Carlisle and Sam Gaus during the occupation by students at University College London. During a demonstration, Sukey’s multi-platform news, communications and logistical support system displays realtime police and protest behaviour in a way that protesters on the street can access on their mobile telephones.

Sukey combines validated information sourced directly from protesters via social media feeds including twitter, facebook and others with news that comes in by SMS text messages, TV and radio. Sukey recirculates that information back into the crowd using a combination of smartphones and standard feature mobile phones.

Sukey was released on January 28th 2011 and field tested at the peaceful student protests in London on January 29th.