In a dramatic display of protest, demonstrators in the Bay Area, particularly in Oakland, employed the “sleeping dragon” technique to obstruct traffic and avoid police removal during a pro-Palestinian demonstration that shut down major roadways, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Interstate 880 on Monday.
The “sleeping dragon” method involves protesters handcuffing themselves together using PVC pipe or similar materials, making it challenging for law enforcement to use bolt cutters to separate them. This tactic aims to prolong protests and increase the difficulty of police intervention.
In a recent incident captured on video by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), officers attempted to remove a man who was part of the demonstration. The man’s hand was secured inside a pipe filled with concrete within a 55-gallon drum, making extraction difficult and time-consuming. An officer can be seen in the video trying to release the man by pulling a piece of rebar attached to the barrel.
The impact of the sleeping dragon technique was evident during the demonstrations. Protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge took more than four hours to clear, resulting in the arrest of 26 individuals. Similarly, on southbound Interstate 880, approximately 300 demonstrators caused a five-hour disruption, leading to the arrest of five individuals. In another protest on the northbound side of I-880, where protesters chained themselves through barrels, it took seven hours to clear the lanes.
The use of sleeping dragon tactics highlights the determination of protesters to amplify their voices and draw attention to their cause, often at the expense of significant disruptions to public infrastructure and traffic flow.
Read about Sleeping dragon (manoeuver) from Wikipedia
While such demonstrations serve as a platform for expressing grievances and advocating for social and political change, they also pose challenges for law enforcement agencies tasked with maintaining public safety and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of traffic.
The ongoing debate surrounding the effectiveness and ethics of disruptive protest tactics like the sleeping dragon method underscores the complexities of balancing civil liberties with public order and safety during periods of heightened social activism.
