Frosty Treats & Food for Thought!

[Guest guest]

The Tactical Ice Cream Unit

 

Frosty Treats & Food for Thought!

 

The ice cream vendor has long been synonymous with a roving oasis - a

well-spring of refreshment; a reprieve from the heat; a cool

intervention. In this regard, the Tactical Ice Cream Unit (TICU) is no

different. The TICU emerges at a time when most channels of

distribution, communication, and social interaction are mediated and

constrained by the fervor of financial exchange. Incorporating an

alternative strategy of utopian potlatch, the Tactical Ice Cream Unit is

envisioned primarily as a mobile distribution center for ice cream and

information.

 

More than meets the eye -

 

The Tactical Ice Cream Unit (TICU) rolls through the city in an act of

intervention that replaces cold stares with frosty treats and nourishing

knowledge. Combining a number of successful activist strategies

(Food-Not-Bombs, Copwatch, Indymedia, infoshops, etc) into one

mega-mobile, the TICU is the Voltron-like alter-ego of the cops' mobile

command center. Although the TICU appears to be a mild-mannered vending

vehicle, it harbors a host of high-tech surveillance devices including a

12-camera video surveillance system, acoustic amplifiers, GPS, satellite

internet, a media transmission studio capable of disseminating live

audio/video, and of course, ice cream. With every free ice cream handed

out, the sweet-toothed citizenry also receives printed information

developed by local progressive groups. Thus, the TICU serves as a mobile

nexus for community activities while providing frosty treats and

food-for-thought.

 

Integrated Technologies -

 

In these times of " heightened security " the TICU takes a Do-It-Yourself

approach in confronting the rhetoric of " Big Brother " .

More than creating an undercover, Mission: Impossible aesthetic, the

TICU's full surveillance suite provides grassroots access to mobile

communications technologies.

Whether used to produce independent community news or to monitor such

" un-American " activities as corporate dumping or police brutality, the

Tactical Ice Cream Unit will investigate the limits of " neutral

technologies " . Equipped with a mobile satellite internet system, the

captured video can be viewable in real-time and recorded via a remote

website.

Additionally, the various surveillance technologies are used to

accumulate recordings which will provide a unique audio/video account of

the local geography.

As such, the vehicle's GPS unit helps determine the routes taken as the

Tactical Ice Cream Unit maps out the urban landscape through its daily

tour of duty.

 

Community Experience -

 

At various times the Tactical Ice Cream Unit invites visitors to explore

the interior, view documentation of the street operations, or

collaborate on " missions " . Local community groups may also suggest uses

for the TICU (i.e. support a strike, a beach clean-up, protest, or a

neighborhood block party). Whether lurking in a corporate parking lot or

chillin' in a neighborhood park, the Tactical Ice Cream Unit is sure to

attract people from all walks of life.

 

Always Prepared -

 

The TICU is prepared to augment any event.

Should the Tactical Ice Cream Unit wander into the vicinity of a rally,

protest, or civil uprising, it is equipped to provide a valuable service

by supplying activists with various, in-demand items (water, first-aid,

film, gas masks, water balloons, etc.).

In addition to offering delicious frozen desserts, the Tactical Ice

Cream Unit serves as a mobile oasis where activists can quench their

thirst, replenish their energy, reload their cameras, document unfolding

events, protect themselves against various crowd dispersants, shield

themselves from the elements,

and arm themselves with educational materials - all without having to

leave the protest vicinity.

In short, the Tactical Ice Cream Unit seeks to protect, provide,

energize, invigorate, and educate its audience.

 

Operations -

 

The TICU is divided into a " mother ship " (Central Command Van) and a

" scout " (Tactical Ice Cream Cart) to better facilitate a range of

operations in a wide variety of public spaces. Acting both as a

transport and as a re-supply vessel, the Central Command Van (CCV)

offers valuable support for the Ice Cream Away Team.

 

By adopting the form of the nomadic street vendor, the TICU can

successfully navigate through zones of increasingly privatized public

space in a manner which is only encouraged by the authorities' request

to " move along. "

In so doing, the Tactical Ice Cream Unit is sure to encounter yet

another citizen in need of nourishment. Providing food and

food-for-thought, the Tactical Ice Cream Unit merrily activates public

space with wholesome information and good humor.

 

The TICU has been conducting Pop Ops on an ongoing basis since October,

2005. Other events include:

 

2006 -

 

March/April - The West Coast Tour begins! Details soon!

 

2005 -

 

October 22 - Police Accountability Alliance rally against police

brutality in Kansas City.

 

October 24-30 - SELECT Media Festival in Chicago + the anti-war protest

in the Loop!

 

November 7-11 - Street Ops in Athens, Ohio w/ students from Ohio University.

 

Want to see the TICU throw down in your town? Contact us to set up a

tour stop in your town, barrio, school, exhibition space, or other venue!

 

http://www.tacticalmagic.org/CTM/project%20pages/TICU.htm