SOPA and PIPA Protest Takes It to the Streets in NYC [VIDEO] ~ Pare News

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On the same day that major websites such as Wikipedia and Reddit went dark, the NY tech community gathered on a cold January afternoon to protest SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act).

The two bills aim to curb online piracy and copyright infringement and are supported by many media outlets and other organizations. But detractors of the legislation, including many tech experts, Internet-based companies (such as Google and Facebook) and Internet users argue that the bills pose a risk to digital security and innovation. SOPA is currently stuck in the House Judiciary Committee, while the Senate is scheduled to vote on PIPA Jan. 24.

Around 1,500 people showed up outside the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand for the rally Wednesday. Both Senators support SOPA and PIPA.

Protesters began arriving in significant numbers by 12:15 p.m. ET. People spoke with one another about the two bills, while some attendees handed out signs.

The speeches began at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET, with speakers including Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit; Scott Heiferman, CEO of Meetup; and Sara Chipps, of Girl Develop It, a website that teaches women how to code; organizers from NY Tech Meetup and other technology and policy experts.

The overall theme of the protest was an acknowledgment that Internet-based piracy is a problem, but speakers insisted that SOPA and PIPA are not viable solutions. The speakers and those in attendance warned that SOPA and PIPA could have disastrous consequences for Internet speed, security and innovation if passed.

“I think an anti-piracy law is a great idea, I just don’t think this is it,” said a protester named Kate who declined to give her last name. “It’s so broad and so vague that it’s going to restrict everyone’s freedom to use the Internet. Not knowing how the Internet works is no longer an excuse.”

Many of the speakers urged attendees to call (or tweet) their elected officials to speak with them about SOPA and PIPA.

And why do the attendees think SOPA and PIPA have come about?

One protester, Ted Cooper, thinks they’re a sign of media companies’ resistance to new technologies. “I think [the bills] are an indication of the fact that the way media has conventionally been sold and monetized is becoming less relevant,” said Cooper.

At least one person with a “Support the Protect IP Act” sign was spotted.

The protest formally ended at 2:45 p.m. ET to chants of “P – I – P – A! Make these bills go away!” Some of the attendees, equipped with a bullhorn and the “people’s mic,” a method of spreading a message person-to-person popularized at Occupy Wall Street, continued to march on to Times Square.

Images courtesy of Flickr, Anonymous9000

More About: PIPA, SOPA, stop online piracy act