Miami Model Check List
To suppress demonstrations and protests, a militarized crowd control model has emerged that has become known as the Miami Model, a named coined by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz following the brutal police reaction to the 2003 FTAA protests. The check mark indicates that the item as already been employed here in Pittsburgh for the G20 summit. Some items not checked may have happened but haven't been confirmed
- √ Establishment of joint, unified, multi-agency command/control network.
- √ Operations, logistics, training, intelligence, and legal committees form.
- √ Mass purchase of surveillance equipment, riot gear and other supplies.
- √ Training of local law enforcement in "crowd control tactics" and less lethal weapons.
- √ Information warfare: "terrorists/violent protestors coming" vs "well trained officers".
- √ Pro-event/anti-demonstrator promotional tools developed/used in community.
- √ Reluctant officials, civic groups pressured to comply with plan by Secret Service/DHS.
- √ Locations strategically valuable to protestors 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.
- √ Information warfare: "event meaningful target for terrorism."
- √ State of Emergency declared or Executive Order signed to allow military policing.
- √ Surveillance, harassment and disruption of protest organizers begins.
- √ ;Attempts to divide protest groups and organizers begins in media and meetings.
- √ Information warfare: "police will protect the right to protest."
- √ Court system co-opted: regular business delayed during protest; assist mass arrests.
- √ Command centers identified and prepped for operations.
- √ 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; empty promises; delay tactics.
- √ Police/military collaborate with corporate media, ie. embedded reporters, etc.
- √ Street level surveillance increases on organizers and demonstrators.
- √ Information warfare continues: "anarchists and criminal elements, Seattle WTO or London imagery".
- √ 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.
- √ Information warfare: display of confiscated "weapons" prove malintent.
- √ 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 cops, bike cops, checkpoints, etc.) put into place.
- √ Day of protest: assembly blocked, obstructed, redirected.
- √ Illegal mass detentions and arrest.
- Information warfare: "unpermitted protests can continue" due to "police good will".
- √ Precipitous violent event coordinated with major news cycle.
- √ Use of less lethal projectiles, chemical weapons, electric weapons, etc.
- √ Information warfare: spin story; direct lines to corporate media justify use of force.
- √ Information warfare: independent media targeted, cameras, video confiscated.
- √ Streets cleared using force; protestors pursued; more mass arrest.
- Jail solidarity event (allowed to protest for few hours, then cleared).
- √ Information warfare: "job well done, we beat the violent protestors, thank you city".
- √ Protestor quest for accountability and justice begins; jail support.
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