Opinion: Crackpot Rumors on DNC Security Measures Have Protesters Dropping Pantloads

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"They'll bring out all the technologies they can get their hands on. I wouldn't put anything past police in terms of crowd control"--activist Ben Yager

What do you wear to a DNC protest?

Depends.

From the Denver Post:

Beware of the Brown Note.

That's the word among some political activists as the Democratic National Convention nears.

As legend has it, the Brown Note is an infrasonic frequency believed to resonate through human body parts and cause a loss of bowel control. Some protesters are convinced that Denver police will amplify such low frequencies to subdue them in August.

"They'll bring out all the technologies they can get their hands on," says activist Ben Yager. "I wouldn't put anything past police in terms of crowd control."

Sounds paranoid?

Maybe. But Mayor John Hickenlooper's administration is only fueling conspiracy theories by refusing to disclose what equipment it's buying with $18 million in federal money. Even after being sued last week, the city insists on keeping its list a secret.

"Commenting on specific security preparations is not helpful to ensuring their effectiveness," says city spokeswoman Sue Cobb.

In May, council members gave their nod to major expenditures such as a new SWAT vehicle, communications equipment and an amplification system. Rather than any serious discussion about why such big-ticket items may be needed, the council's safety committee instead chose to crack jokes.

"I'm not quite sure I know what a SWAT vehicle is all about," said Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz.

"Can we use it for insects?" quipped Councilman Doug Linkhart to much guffawing.

The city flat-out refuses to say how it plans to use the $385,000 amplification system that council members approved with little public discussion. That's why activists like Yager are buzzing about the Brown Note, real or imagined, and sonic weapons that cities such as New York have mounted on SWAT trucks to control protesters.

There's just way too many jokes here.

More activist entertainment from the Slapstick Politics blog, via Michelle Malkin.

I reported earlier this week on the ACLU suing the City of Denver for information on how and what the city is spending millions on security dollars for the upcoming DNC in August, which is kind of like Al Qaeda in Iraq suing the US Army to disclose its counterinsurgency plans.

As also noted in the report, some of the organizations have said their protests may not be totally peaceful, and if anything happens "it'll be the fault of the DNC and Denver Police."

Even more reason to keep security measures secret and hidden.

Maybe even where the sun don't shine.

Like I said. Too easy.

Anyway, the Brown Note theory has pretty much been debunked.

But I do believe the psychological aspect can be put into play here. If a demonstration gets out of control, the police could broadcast a high-pitched note over loudspeakers, police plants in the crowd could start crapping their pants intentionally, and like vomiting, may cause a bowel-riffic chain reaction in the crowd, which would be panicking on the verge of soiling themselves anyway at that point.

And I'd be willing to pay a lot of notes that aren't brown to see that one!

Unless, of course, they preempt the Denver Police by showing up in tinfoil body suits.

Patent pending.