Watching the watchmen: resisting drones and the "protester panopticon"

Waghorn, Neil J.

doi:10.5194/gh-71-99-2016

Articles | Volume 71, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-71-99-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Power and space in the drone age

https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-71-99-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 71, issue 2

Standard article

|

27 May 2016

Standard article |

| 27 May 2016

Watching the watchmen: resisting drones and the "protester panopticon"

Neil J. Waghorn

Viewed

Total article views: 2,722 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

HTML	PDF	XML	Total	BibTeX	EndNote
1,584	1,019	119	2,722	153	200

HTML: 1,584
PDF: 1,019
XML: 119
Total: 2,722
BibTeX: 153
EndNote: 200

Views and downloads (calculated since 27 May 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
May 2016	39	3	0	42
Jun 2016	62	23	2	87
Jul 2016	39	9	1	49
Aug 2016	45	5	1	51
Sep 2016	34	9	0	43
Oct 2016	34	8	1	43
Nov 2016	13	6	0	19
Dec 2016	3	3	1	7
Jan 2017	9	8	0	17
Feb 2017	9	7	1	17
Mar 2017	13	12	0	25
Apr 2017	19	22	1	42
May 2017	10	18	0	28
Jun 2017	7	6	2	15
Jul 2017	8	12	0	20
Aug 2017	6	8	0	14
Sep 2017	4	6	0	10
Oct 2017	3	6	0	9
Nov 2017	27	27	1	55
Dec 2017	19	25	0	44
Jan 2018	8	15	1	24
Feb 2018	21	17	4	42
Mar 2018	16	18	2	36
Apr 2018	7	18	0	25
May 2018	11	9	1	21
Jun 2018	11	12	0	23
Jul 2018	11	14	2	27
Aug 2018	9	9	0	18
Sep 2018	5	5	0	10
Oct 2018	10	9	3	22
Nov 2018	19	14	3	36
Dec 2018	40	14	4	58
Jan 2019	27	15	3	45
Feb 2019	6	5	0	11
Mar 2019	4	4	0	8
Apr 2019	7	7	0	14
May 2019	5	7	0	12
Jun 2019	3	5	1	9
Jul 2019	2	9	0	11
Aug 2019	5	6	0	11
Sep 2019	3	12	0	15
Oct 2019	8	5	0	13
Nov 2019	6	8	0	14
Dec 2019	8	5	0	13
Jan 2020	7	7	0	14
Feb 2020	4	7	0	11
Mar 2020	7	6	0	13
Apr 2020	4	8	0	12
May 2020	4	8	2	14
Jun 2020	10	9	0	19
Jul 2020	37	29	28	94
Aug 2020	5	5	2	12
Sep 2020	12	7	0	19
Oct 2020	5	5	0	10
Nov 2020	5	7	0	12
Dec 2020	11	6	0	17
Jan 2021	21	11	0	32
Feb 2021	9	7	0	16
Mar 2021	10	8	0	18
Apr 2021	11	12	1	24
May 2021	11	9	0	20
Jun 2021	9	9	1	19
Jul 2021	9	3	0	12
Aug 2021	6	4	1	11
Sep 2021	10	7	0	17
Oct 2021	9	21	0	30
Nov 2021	7	13	0	20
Dec 2021	9	5	0	14
Jan 2022	29	10	3	42
Feb 2022	9	3	1	13
Mar 2022	20	6	0	26
Apr 2022	26	14	0	40
May 2022	21	7	0	28
Jun 2022	14	2	0	16
Jul 2022	29	4	1	34
Aug 2022	19	3	1	23
Sep 2022	17	5	1	23
Oct 2022	22	7	0	29
Nov 2022	41	8	1	50
Dec 2022	14	8	0	22
Jan 2023	14	9	1	24
Feb 2023	18	5	1	24
Mar 2023	11	4	0	15
Apr 2023	6	6	0	12
May 2023	8	7	1	16
Jun 2023	5	4	0	9
Jul 2023	5	4	0	9
Aug 2023	4	3	1	8
Sep 2023	4	9	0	13
Oct 2023	5	7	1	13
Nov 2023	3	1	1	5
Dec 2023	12	5	1	18
Jan 2024	1	2	0	3
Feb 2024	1	4	0	5
Mar 2024	1	4	1	6
Apr 2024	11	4	2	17
May 2024	16	5	2	23
Jun 2024	38	11	1	50
Jul 2024	10	27	3	40
Aug 2024	33	27	4	64
Sep 2024	13	18	5	36
Oct 2024	15	5	2	22
Nov 2024	19	1	0	20
Dec 2024	14	4	2	20
Jan 2025	13	9	0	22
Feb 2025	10	4	1	15
Mar 2025	8	5	1	14
Apr 2025	8	8	0	16
May 2025	7	9	1	17
Jun 2025	24	9	0	33
Jul 2025	16	12	1	29
Aug 2025	19	4	2	25
Sep 2025	25	9	2	36
Oct 2025	23	15	2	40
Nov 2025	16	4	2	22

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 27 May 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
May 2016	39	3	0	42
Jun 2016	62	23	2	87
Jul 2016	39	9	1	49
Aug 2016	45	5	1	51
Sep 2016	34	9	0	43
Oct 2016	34	8	1	43
Nov 2016	13	6	0	19
Dec 2016	3	3	1	7
Jan 2017	9	8	0	17
Feb 2017	9	7	1	17
Mar 2017	13	12	0	25
Apr 2017	19	22	1	42
May 2017	10	18	0	28
Jun 2017	7	6	2	15
Jul 2017	8	12	0	20
Aug 2017	6	8	0	14
Sep 2017	4	6	0	10
Oct 2017	3	6	0	9
Nov 2017	27	27	1	55
Dec 2017	19	25	0	44
Jan 2018	8	15	1	24
Feb 2018	21	17	4	42
Mar 2018	16	18	2	36
Apr 2018	7	18	0	25
May 2018	11	9	1	21
Jun 2018	11	12	0	23
Jul 2018	11	14	2	27
Aug 2018	9	9	0	18
Sep 2018	5	5	0	10
Oct 2018	10	9	3	22
Nov 2018	19	14	3	36
Dec 2018	40	14	4	58
Jan 2019	27	15	3	45
Feb 2019	6	5	0	11
Mar 2019	4	4	0	8
Apr 2019	7	7	0	14
May 2019	5	7	0	12
Jun 2019	3	5	1	9
Jul 2019	2	9	0	11
Aug 2019	5	6	0	11
Sep 2019	3	12	0	15
Oct 2019	8	5	0	13
Nov 2019	6	8	0	14
Dec 2019	8	5	0	13
Jan 2020	7	7	0	14
Feb 2020	4	7	0	11
Mar 2020	7	6	0	13
Apr 2020	4	8	0	12
May 2020	4	8	2	14
Jun 2020	10	9	0	19
Jul 2020	37	29	28	94
Aug 2020	5	5	2	12
Sep 2020	12	7	0	19
Oct 2020	5	5	0	10
Nov 2020	5	7	0	12
Dec 2020	11	6	0	17
Jan 2021	21	11	0	32
Feb 2021	9	7	0	16
Mar 2021	10	8	0	18
Apr 2021	11	12	1	24
May 2021	11	9	0	20
Jun 2021	9	9	1	19
Jul 2021	9	3	0	12
Aug 2021	6	4	1	11
Sep 2021	10	7	0	17
Oct 2021	9	21	0	30
Nov 2021	7	13	0	20
Dec 2021	9	5	0	14
Jan 2022	29	10	3	42
Feb 2022	9	3	1	13
Mar 2022	20	6	0	26
Apr 2022	26	14	0	40
May 2022	21	7	0	28
Jun 2022	14	2	0	16
Jul 2022	29	4	1	34
Aug 2022	19	3	1	23
Sep 2022	17	5	1	23
Oct 2022	22	7	0	29
Nov 2022	41	8	1	50
Dec 2022	14	8	0	22
Jan 2023	14	9	1	24
Feb 2023	18	5	1	24
Mar 2023	11	4	0	15
Apr 2023	6	6	0	12
May 2023	8	7	1	16
Jun 2023	5	4	0	9
Jul 2023	5	4	0	9
Aug 2023	4	3	1	8
Sep 2023	4	9	0	13
Oct 2023	5	7	1	13
Nov 2023	3	1	1	5
Dec 2023	12	5	1	18
Jan 2024	1	2	0	3
Feb 2024	1	4	0	5
Mar 2024	1	4	1	6
Apr 2024	11	4	2	17
May 2024	16	5	2	23
Jun 2024	38	11	1	50
Jul 2024	10	27	3	40
Aug 2024	33	27	4	64
Sep 2024	13	18	5	36
Oct 2024	15	5	2	22
Nov 2024	19	1	0	20
Dec 2024	14	4	2	20
Jan 2025	13	9	0	22
Feb 2025	10	4	1	15
Mar 2025	8	5	1	14
Apr 2025	8	8	0	16
May 2025	7	9	1	17
Jun 2025	24	9	0	33
Jul 2025	16	12	1	29
Aug 2025	19	4	2	25
Sep 2025	25	9	2	36
Oct 2025	23	15	2	40
Nov 2025	16	4	2	22

Latest update: 24 Nov 2025

Short summary

Protester operated drones are beginning to appear in the skies above protests, offering protesters new ways to watch the police. Previous work on resisting surveillance has focused upon resisting surveillance by state authorities, such as the police. This article, however, reverses this arrangement and explores the ways in which the police can attempt to resist surveillance by protesters. It explores legislation, physical and electronic efforts to minimise the effects of the gaze of the drone.