NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson had a spirited discussion about their respective causes on Twitter Monday night, trading points on the relationship between police and state violence and surveillance.
It started when Snowden tweeted:
If you want to protect your rights, you've got to protect the rights of others. Social justice is common sense.
Mckesson then asked Snowden what he thought about the Black Lives Matter movement and police violence.
What are your thoughts about Black Lives Matter, the movement re: ending police & state violence?
https://twitter.com/snowden/status/653708727502151680 …
Mckesson also brought up how activists like him have been monitored by government officials. He asked Snowden for tips on how activists can safeguard their information and protect their organization.
Snowden, in turn, asked Mckesson how people "can highlight the danger" of intelligence officials targeting civil rights activists -- which has occurred throughout American history, most notably during the Civil Rights movement.
In the end, the two agreed to hold a public debate about these topics, which, judging from the Twitter exchange, could be very interesting.
@Snowden, would you be down to have a public talk re: intersections b/t surveillance & state violence w/ me if we can figure out logistics?
