Protest Tech from Hong Kong to Belarus

Description:

For several months, protesters in Belarus have stood up to the brutal regime of Alexander Lukashenko, harnessing the power of technology to support their movement for democracy. Secure Telegram channels coordinate spontaneous protests, programmers hack into government backed media websites, displaying the real news instead of propaganda, and civil society groups transfer money into Belarus using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to prevent government tracing. In many ways, these cutting-edge tactics build on the experience of protesters around the world, especially those in Hong Kong. This panel will explore the connections between the protests in Belarus and Hong Kong, focusing on the growing role that technology plays in organizing and protesting.