Campaigners paint the Twitter logo on the street outside the company's headquarters in San Francisco on December 18, 2022. (Photo: Art Koch Studios)
Campaigners Declare 'No... Democracy With Oligarchy' at Twitter HQ
"Ultimately," said one critic, Elon Musk's takeover of the platform "is all about preserving and metastasizing oligarchy."
Dozens of artists, labor advocates, and climate campaigners answered a call from Climate Justice Arts on Sunday, arriving at Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco to paint the company's famed bird logo on the street outside along with pro-democracy messages.
"Sick of billionaires, wealthy corporations, and their politicians mismanaging, profiteering, and wrecking our communities and planet?" read the invitation to community members. "Join us speaking out against oligarchy by painting a guerrilla street mural directly in front of San Francisco Twitter headquarters."
The campaigners created a 15-by-50 foot mural designed by artist and organizer David Solnit, blocking a lane of traffic as they wrote, "No Free Speech or Democracy With Oligarchy" and "1% Wealth vs. 99% Survival."
The protest came six weeks after billionaire Tesla CEO--and self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist"--Elon Musk took over Twitter, ushering in an era during which he has already come under fire over his management and the policies he's introduced.
Last week Musk temporarily suspended the accounts of several journalists, claiming they had violated a policy banning users from sharing people's "live location." The journalists had reported on a Twitter account that tracked Musk's jet.
Twitter also announced on Sunday that users would be barred from tweeting links and usernames associated with other social media platforms.
In the past Musk has called the climate emergency "the biggest threat that humanity faces," but critics have pointed out that many of his business ventures are making the crisis worse.
As Emily Atkin wrote at Heated last month, Musk's rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX has refused to disclose its emissions data, and he is currently leasing land in Texas to drill for natural gas. He has also announced publicly that he supports the Republican Party despite its climate denialism and refusal to back legislation that would help the U.S. to mitigate the climate crisis.
Musk's takeover of Twitter, which has sparked mass layoffs and resignations at the company including the firing of 15% of its content moderation team, has also led to the spread of climate disinformation on the platform, threatening what has become "an essential tool for studying, fighting, and responding in real-time to climate change," wrote Atkin.
"Ultimately," tweeted Los Angeles Times essayist Jamil Smith two days before campaigners assembled outside Twitter's headquarter, "this is all about preserving and metastasizing oligarchy. The shitposting, the conspiracy-mongering, banning journalists--all of it."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Dozens of artists, labor advocates, and climate campaigners answered a call from Climate Justice Arts on Sunday, arriving at Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco to paint the company's famed bird logo on the street outside along with pro-democracy messages.
"Sick of billionaires, wealthy corporations, and their politicians mismanaging, profiteering, and wrecking our communities and planet?" read the invitation to community members. "Join us speaking out against oligarchy by painting a guerrilla street mural directly in front of San Francisco Twitter headquarters."
The campaigners created a 15-by-50 foot mural designed by artist and organizer David Solnit, blocking a lane of traffic as they wrote, "No Free Speech or Democracy With Oligarchy" and "1% Wealth vs. 99% Survival."
The protest came six weeks after billionaire Tesla CEO--and self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist"--Elon Musk took over Twitter, ushering in an era during which he has already come under fire over his management and the policies he's introduced.
Last week Musk temporarily suspended the accounts of several journalists, claiming they had violated a policy banning users from sharing people's "live location." The journalists had reported on a Twitter account that tracked Musk's jet.
Twitter also announced on Sunday that users would be barred from tweeting links and usernames associated with other social media platforms.
In the past Musk has called the climate emergency "the biggest threat that humanity faces," but critics have pointed out that many of his business ventures are making the crisis worse.
As Emily Atkin wrote at Heated last month, Musk's rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX has refused to disclose its emissions data, and he is currently leasing land in Texas to drill for natural gas. He has also announced publicly that he supports the Republican Party despite its climate denialism and refusal to back legislation that would help the U.S. to mitigate the climate crisis.
Musk's takeover of Twitter, which has sparked mass layoffs and resignations at the company including the firing of 15% of its content moderation team, has also led to the spread of climate disinformation on the platform, threatening what has become "an essential tool for studying, fighting, and responding in real-time to climate change," wrote Atkin.
"Ultimately," tweeted Los Angeles Times essayist Jamil Smith two days before campaigners assembled outside Twitter's headquarter, "this is all about preserving and metastasizing oligarchy. The shitposting, the conspiracy-mongering, banning journalists--all of it."
Dozens of artists, labor advocates, and climate campaigners answered a call from Climate Justice Arts on Sunday, arriving at Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco to paint the company's famed bird logo on the street outside along with pro-democracy messages.
"Sick of billionaires, wealthy corporations, and their politicians mismanaging, profiteering, and wrecking our communities and planet?" read the invitation to community members. "Join us speaking out against oligarchy by painting a guerrilla street mural directly in front of San Francisco Twitter headquarters."
The campaigners created a 15-by-50 foot mural designed by artist and organizer David Solnit, blocking a lane of traffic as they wrote, "No Free Speech or Democracy With Oligarchy" and "1% Wealth vs. 99% Survival."
The protest came six weeks after billionaire Tesla CEO--and self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist"--Elon Musk took over Twitter, ushering in an era during which he has already come under fire over his management and the policies he's introduced.
Last week Musk temporarily suspended the accounts of several journalists, claiming they had violated a policy banning users from sharing people's "live location." The journalists had reported on a Twitter account that tracked Musk's jet.
Twitter also announced on Sunday that users would be barred from tweeting links and usernames associated with other social media platforms.
In the past Musk has called the climate emergency "the biggest threat that humanity faces," but critics have pointed out that many of his business ventures are making the crisis worse.
As Emily Atkin wrote at Heated last month, Musk's rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX has refused to disclose its emissions data, and he is currently leasing land in Texas to drill for natural gas. He has also announced publicly that he supports the Republican Party despite its climate denialism and refusal to back legislation that would help the U.S. to mitigate the climate crisis.
Musk's takeover of Twitter, which has sparked mass layoffs and resignations at the company including the firing of 15% of its content moderation team, has also led to the spread of climate disinformation on the platform, threatening what has become "an essential tool for studying, fighting, and responding in real-time to climate change," wrote Atkin.
"Ultimately," tweeted Los Angeles Times essayist Jamil Smith two days before campaigners assembled outside Twitter's headquarter, "this is all about preserving and metastasizing oligarchy. The shitposting, the conspiracy-mongering, banning journalists--all of it."