'People's Mic' Before Occupy Wall St?

[palotin]

The name rubs me the wrong way, but this is one of the most fascinating elements of these protests. I'm thinking a lot about the dynamic it introduces into the decision making process (other than quadrupling the length) and the role it places in the articulation of a collective subject. All the descriptions I've read on the technique account for it as a response to the particular legal circumstances of protest in NYC, where non-permitted gatherings can't have amplification equipment. Most of these articles have been from the mainstream press, whose journalists are not exactly known for their curiosity or knowledge about these matters. Do you know of previous examples of the technique? Or, better still, do you have any sense of how it emerged within OWS? Were there any conscious references to previous protests/social movements? A friend of mine said the Brazilian labor movement has used something similar. I doubt a direct link exists or could be firmly established. Any help would be greatly appreciated.