A Moist Anti Palantir Protest: No Bagels? No Donuts?
January 24, 2017
On January 18, 2017 three score protesters showed up in front of the Shire. (That’s what Palantir Technologies uses as a handle for its Palo Alto headquarters.) According to “Tech Employees Protest in Front of Palantir HQ over Fears It Will Build Trump‘s Muslim Registry,” it was raining. Oh, there were an estimated 50 people experiencing the Great California Drought. I learned:
The organizers behind this particular protest hail from tech, Stanford, and Palo Alto and say they are concerned Palantir and its co-founder and Trump advisor Peter Thiel stand to profit off the makings of a citizen database that could be used against those identifying as followers of Islam in the United States.
I also read “Palantir Tried To Placate Protesters With Free Philz Coffee.” The “real” news service informed me:
The crowd, assembled in waterlogged windbreakers and sopping down coats, included employees from Facebook and other tech companies, along with labor activists, and students from nearby Stanford University. The hour-long protest was staged to pressure Palantir into more accountability and transparency around the databases it has built.
One hour. Wow. What a statement.
The “real” news report said:
The company [Palantir] was also hospitable to protesters, putting out a table of free Philz coffee with a little Palantir logo.
Here in Harrod’s Creek, protestors usually get a snort of moonshine. At least that has some impact. I am not sure if the folks trying to find a parking place were amused with soggy advocates of something which may not happen. But what if there is a registry and Palantir was not involved.
Will the valiant protesters identify the government contractor. Assemble in front of that outfit’s building and make their voices heard? As long as the target of the protest is near at hand and the weather cooperates. That’s a maybe then.
Stephen E Arnold, January 24, 2017
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