Political Protesters: Who Are They, Really?
Description
Last week, I did a livestream with photojournalist Jeremy Lee Quinn about the developing—and increasingly confusing—story of the motives of Tyler Robinson, the young man who assassinated Charlie Kirk on September 10. As it happened, I was already set to post an interview with Jeremy that I’d recorded a few months ago, about his work covering political protestors in cities across America.
This is that interview. While the impetus for our discussion was last June’s anti-ICE demonstrations around the country, I think it remains very relevant as we enter a new phase of political turbulence.
September 22, 2025 edition
Photojournalist Jeremy Lee Quinn has spent the last five years on the ground at protests and riots from Los Angeles to Portland. In this conversation, he talks about what he actually saw in LA this June (Waymo fires, rocks from overpasses, accelerants at the 101), why “black bloc” is a tactic rather than a group, and how decentralized, improvisational organizing confounds both police and press. We also talk about why much of the media refuses to describe left-wing militancy with the same granularity it applies to the right—and why that avoidance creates its own backlash.
We discuss:
What “black bloc” means (and where it originated)
The difference between a daytime protest crowd and what happens after dark
How “direct action” and “diversity of tactics” function in practice
The ICE-raid protests in downtown LA and why certain images travel
Whether the National Guard helps or makes things worse
Why some participants are true believers and others are thrill-seekers
The addiction of covering unrest—and knowing when to step back
Guest bio:
Jeremy Lee Quinn is a photojournalist and reporter who has covered protests and political unrest since 2020. His forthcoming book is Culture of Confusion. He posts most actively as @JeremyReporter (Instagram, Facebook) and also writes on Substack and X/Twitter.
Here’s Jeremy’s Substack.
Jeremy Lee QuinnHousekeeping
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