UPDATE: We found some information about the organizers behind the NOT AFRAID action in Paris. You'll need to translate the article unless you speak French, but it is a great story of how "seat of the pants" and improvisational these actions can be. Yes, sometimes we work hard and really plan things in detail, but it seems the best actions happen pretty quickly. "Can we do this?" "Yes!" "Do we have enough letters?" "No! Quick, make a couple!" "Do we have volunteers?" "That won't be a problem! Just show up!" That's often how it goes.
Read about them here. The video about the Night Trains is fun to watch as well, ending in one of our signature "zombie walks."
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It is a lovely surprise to be hunkered down in bone chilling sub zero weather, here in the fro-zone of the midwest, and get a series of messages about a new Light Brigade that just cropped up in Paris, holding the message (in English) NOT AFRAID. The crowd animates the text, and the text animates the crowd. When we open sourced this idea (here on Kos, with a "make-diary!") we had no idea it would go this far. The power is in the collective: each individual merely holds a letter, but together we make meaning. And this particular image is going pretty far! Already on the cover of Le Monde and The Guardian - not bad for the Paris Light Brigade's first action!
The following was sent to us at Overpass Light Brigade via Occupy Wall Street:
"Was at Place de la Republique. Everyone is out. it's a very special vibe. I felt like i saw all the characters in my neighborhood, everyone seemed familiar, in a soft wave of people going towards the square. They chanted, 'nous sommes tous charlie!' and 'liberté d'expression!' mostly. And there's the 'not afraid' signs, which were incredible."
And we took the liberty of making this graphic:
Brigade de Lumière, indeed!