By Tranquil Squirrel
A little over ten years ago, on April 1, 2014, activists fighting for housing and equality, part of the “Heart of the City” collective, staged a protest in San Francisco’s Mission District. Wearing bright blue, yellow, and red costumes, they blocked a private bus provided by Google to transport its workers at 24th and Valencia Streets, bringing it to a stop.
The “G-Muni Dancers” performed acrobatic moves and bounced bright exercise balls in a playful but defiant routine in front of the blocked shuttle. This action made national headlines. Sara Shortt, director of the Housing Rights Committee, said, “This is a fun way to show how private companies are using public land for free while pushing people out of their neighborhoods.”
Meanwhile, in Oakland, protests were more intense. People smashed bus windows, slashed tires, and one protester even vomited on a Yahoo bus windshield. These were clear signs of the rising anger in communities being displaced by the tech industry.
In her paper Infrastructural Activism: Google Bus Blockades, Affective Politics, and Environmental Gentrification in San Francisco, Manissa M. Maharawal describes Infrastructural Activism as the disruption of systems like transportation to drive political change. The tech bus blockades in San Francisco exemplified this concept by making the normally hidden and unacknowledged presence of tech-specific transportation networks starkly visible.
These private buses, designed to blend into the city and operate quietly, transported high-paid tech workers to their Silicon Valley offices while bypassing the broader community. By blocking them, protesters not only disrupted the daily routine of these buses but also raised public awareness of their impact, prompting a deeper examination of whether such services should even be allowed to operate.
What was once presented as a neutral, harmless service — just a bus shuttling employees to work — was exposed as a symbol of privilege and exclusion. The protests made visible the ways in which access to infrastructure shapes urban space, determining who gets to remain in the city and who is forced out. They revealed how seemingly invisible systems distribute power and resources, redrawing the boundaries of belonging and exclusion.
But despite the determined efforts of groups like Heart of the City, the tide of evictions and displacement continued. And today, much of the activism against tech and gentrification has quieted down, swept away by the forces it sought to counter.
Why do bus blockades and anti-tech protests from a decade ago still resonate today? Is there a distinction between capitalism and tech — or is Big Tech’s immense power simply a new face of capitalism’s familiar brutality?
The answer lies in recognizing what sets the tech industry apart. Rising rents and rampant urban displacement are visible symptoms of a deeper sickness. What distinguishes Big Tech from traditional forms of capitalist exploitation is its unprecedented capacity to consolidate power at a global scale, concentrating it into the hands of a select few.
Tech doesn’t merely accumulate wealth — it reshapes society in its own image, actively replacing people with machines, stripping human presence and emotion from the world and substituting it with profit-driven algorithms.
This is more than an economic shift; it’s a social and cultural one. With its reach, technology exerts control not just through the workplace but through the threads of our everyday lives. Its tools of surveillance and data extraction amplify existing inequalities. Unlike traditional forms of capitalism that still left space for human relationships and community, the tech-driven model aims to erase the human element entirely. It intrudes into our daily interactions, shaping how we communicate, what we consume, and even how we understand ourselves.
Tech companies are creating a world where everything is judged by profit, data, and efficiency, and anything that can’t be tracked, turned into numbers, or sold is pushed out. That’s why fighting Big Tech isn’t just one part of resisting capitalism — it’s at the heart of it.
Of course, it wasn’t Tech that invented displacement or gentrification. It didn’t create capitalism or billionaires. Attacks on the working class have been happening for generations, no matter which industry holds power.
If it wasn’t Tech, wouldn’t another industry have caused the same damage? The real question is: how do we fight capitalism itself? How do we push back against displacement and restore security for the working class?
In 2024, Tech is capitalism. It has outgrown its role as just another industry and become the new blueprint for how power operates. The empty buildings and hollowed-out neighborhoods aren’t accidents—they’re a feature of how Big Tech’s presence reshapes the world around it.
Big Tech’s staggering wealth isn’t just contained within its own companies — it spills over, transforming the entire regional economy. That concentration of capital creates a gravitational pull, attracting speculators of all kinds: real estate developers, legal firms, private equity, and venture capitalists.
Once Tech sets up shop in a community, an entire ecosystem of profiteers descends, eager to cash in on the rising property values and economic activity that follow. This speculative frenzy turns cities into gold mines for developers, pushing up rents and driving out long-time residents, small businesses, and working-class families.
The rise of AI, championed as progress by tech leaders and hyped by mainstream media, is celebrated as a major leap forward. But underneath all the hype is a capitalist’s dream come true: more automation, cheaper labor, and the power to dismantle the idea of secure employment entirely.
Take Google, for example. Its products, touted as digital tools of convenience and connectivity, have become instruments of control and surveillance. The Israeli military reportedly uses Google Photos’ facial recognition technology as part of its mass surveillance system targeting Palestinians in Gaza. Since 2021, Google Cloud has been building infrastructure for the Israeli government under the controversial Project Nimbus, one of the largest technology projects in Israel’s history. And just this past March, the Israeli Ministry of Defense signed a new contract with Google, seeking “consulting assistance” to expand its Cloud access and allow “multiple units” to leverage automation technologies for military use.
What separates a tech company like Google from a traditional “defense” contractor at this point? Or take Apple, with its omnipresent “Apple Pay.” When a tech company facilitates more financial transactions than some national banks, what’s the difference between Silicon Valley and Wall Street? Meanwhile, social media giants like Meta act as global media empires, curating narratives and influencing elections.
Across the supply chain, these companies are exploiting land and labor, mistreating factory workers, and sourcing conflict minerals with little regard for human rights. Social media platforms have turned a profit by amplifying hate speech and sowing division.
Toxic e-waste from discarded electronics is piling up across the globe, leaching into soil and water, with tech companies showing minimal accountability. The common thread is clear: Big Tech isn’t just producing products. It’s driving the very crises it claims to solve, fueling a cycle of extraction, exploitation, and expansion that knows no boundaries.
We need to confront a fundamental truth: technology — whether it’s facial recognition software, AI, or social media algorithms — isn’t neutral. These tools are being wielded not to “connect the world” but to control, surveil, and exploit it.
If we’re serious about challenging capitalism, that means setting our sights on Big Tech itself. And for activists in the Bay Area, this isn’t just a theoretical position — it’s a strategic imperative. We’re uniquely positioned to disrupt their operations and infrastructure in ways that activists in other regions simply cannot.
But how do we actually do it? The power of these corporations is expanding by the day — through their influence on policy, policing, increased surveillance, and our deepening dependency on their products, even within activist spaces. What does effective disruption look like in practice?
To genuinely dismantle this capitalist-tech nexus, we can’t act as isolated individuals. We’re facing some of the wealthiest, most resourceful, and most entrenched institutions on the planet. Yet, paradoxically, that power is also their weakness. Capitalism is fundamentally unstable and brittle. The environmental, social, and spiritual costs of this system are felt by nearly everyone — the 99% — even if we may not articulate it in those exact terms. The question isn’t whether there will be a breaking point, but when and where it will occur.
The truth is, revolutions rarely ignite from a single, explosive moment. More often, they’re set off by a chain reaction — a series of small, localized actions that ripple outward, creating cracks in the system until it eventually collapses under its own weight. What will be the tipping point? It’s hard to say. But perhaps, it will begin where tech’s influence is most concentrated and visible — right here, in the Bay Area.
So, how do we move forward? The key is to employ guerrilla tactics that can ignite larger movements and build working-class solidarity. Small, targeted actions aren’t just about disruption — they’re about amplifying the voices of activists and communities worldwide, proving that resistance is still possible, even in the stronghold of the tech empire.
Our goal is to set off a ripple effect of defiance — but we have to be strategic. One wrong move, and getting caught in the so-called “justice” system can derail a campaign, draining resources and momentum.. That’s why nimble, precise actions are essential. They keep us out of trouble while still pushing the fight forward.
The point is to inspire. Blocking tech buses or staging creative protests won’t dismantle the system overnight, but these acts send out ripples — gestures of defiance that challenge the supposedly invincible status quo and show that resistance is alive. Think back to the G-Muni dancers a decade ago, who used art and music to disrupt business as usual.
We need that same energy: small sparks that, multiplied, can set larger fires. These seemingly minor actions lay the groundwork for something bigger — a network of resistance that chips away at the foundations of the empire, piece by piece.
These corporations aren’t just faceless entities—they’re our neighbors. That proximity gives us a chance to disrupt not only their image but also their infrastructure and operations, shifting the balance in ways activists elsewhere can’t.
But before we move forward, we need to ask: How do we distinguish between tech workers — who are often exploited themselves — and the broader corporate structures they serve? It’s too easy to blame the “techies” behind computer screens and feel morally superior, but that’s a distraction from the deeper realities of capitalism.
Like workers in any industry, most tech employees are part of the broader working class. Many are trapped by debt — student loans, skyrocketing rents, or familial obligations — that funneled them into tech just as people get pushed into any job. And, like millions of others, they’re just there for one thing our broken system dangles as bait: healthcare.
Our focus in direct actions should be clear: target the corporations, not the workers. Getting tangled in petty confrontations with employees clinging to a precarious stability is counterproductive. We need to disrupt the flow of capital, expose corporate complicity in perpetuating inequality, and challenge the structures of multinational power.
It’s also crucial to recognize that some tech workers themselves have taken bold political stands. When Google employees staged a global walkout over sexual harassment policies or Amazon workers went on strike demanding better conditions, they put their jobs — and often their livelihoods — on the line. And when some organized in solidarity with Gaza or fought to curb AI’s surveillance power, they risked professional backlash and reputational damage in a cutthroat industry.
Techies may seem more privileged than factory or fast-food workers, but privilege isn’t the same as power. Many can’t unionize due to aggressive anti-labor tactics, and those who try face the same union-busting strategies that crush organizing efforts across industries.
Ultimately, one of our goals should be to educate, agitate, and inspire tech workers to join the resistance — preferably from within. They deserve the benefit of the doubt.
So, with all of this in mind, what does resistance to Big Tech in the Bay Area actually look like? Collective action and mutual aid must be at the heart of our strategy. We need to organize within our communities and activist circles, raise awareness about tech’s exploitative practices, build networks of support, and engage in direct actions that disrupt Big Tech’s operations.
This means thinking creatively and strategically — focusing on actions that interfere with their business models, target key points of infrastructure, and draw attention to the very structures that perpetuate economic inequality and environmental harm.
Think in terms of Infrastructural Activism: not just protest, but interference. We have to get inside the machine and jam it, whether by disrupting the bus shuttles, delaying tech-sponsored events, or generally making the Bay Area an inhospitable environment for business as usual. Each of these actions can send a powerful message that reverberates beyond local borders — one that shakes the foundations of an economy built on greed and corporate control, with tech sitting at the top.
We’ve seen positive results from direct action. Some notable acts of resistance include:
- January 2018: Buses carrying Apple employees to Cupertino were attacked, possibly with pellet guns. Some windows were shattered. The incidents happened during morning and evening commutes on Highway 280, forcing Apple to reroute its buses, extending commutes by 30 to 45 minutes. A Google bus was also targeted. No injuries were reported.
- May 2018: housing activists in San Francisco escalated protests against the tech industry by blocking over a dozen buses transporting tech workers to Silicon Valley. Protesters used electric scooters to form a barricade at a busy intersection in the Mission District. Dressed in white hazmat suits, they lit an orange smoke grenade on top of the scooter pile, blocking a Google shuttle bus.
- 2023: in San Francisco, an activist group called Safe Street Rebel found a simple way to disable driverless cars: placing traffic cones on their hoods. Safe Street Rebel carried out these “coning” protests to disrupt the increasing presence of driverless cars, which they saw as using the city as a testing ground for unproven technology.
- February 10, 2024: in San Francisco’s Chinatown, a Waymo robotaxi (owned by Google) was destroyed by a crowd. Seen as a symbol of unchecked tech growth and corporate dominance, the autonomous vehicle was surrounded by dozens of people who smashed its windows, spray-painted graffiti, and set it on fire.
These acts of defiance against tech companies made international news, inspiring people around the world. The message was clear: the people of the Bay Area won’t stand by as these corporations harm their communities and the planet.
Sometimes, I wonder if we’ve lost the fight already. But then I think about the protests, the moments of resistance, and I remember: hope isn’t about winning—it’s about refusing to surrender. How do we continue to push back in ways that build momentum instead of burning us out? Consider these points:
- Small disruptions matter: Even seemingly minor actions can have a cumulative impact, especially when they disrupt daily operations. Tech bus routes are public and should not be allowed to pass through our communities unchallenged. Coordinated protests, road blockages, or symbolic demonstrations along these routes can disrupt business as usual and serve as a visible reminder that the industry’s grip on the region is not uncontested.
- Engage tech workers thoughtfully: Many tech employees, while contributing to the machinery of harm, may not be fully aware of the damage their work enables. However, like police, even if some individuals are decent, they work within a system of systemic harm and therefore are accountable. Hold them accountable, but do so with the possibility of dialogue and remain open to genuine conversations.
- Leverage insider knowledge: If you’re a tech worker who sees the harm firsthand or know someone who does, use your access to expose these companies’ unethical practices. Whistleblowing, leaking sensitive documents, or even subtly highlighting internal contradictions can sow discord and make it harder for companies to maintain their manicured public image. Every revelation disrupts their carefully managed narrative and chips away at their power.
- If you have hacking skills or strong tech knowledge: Use them to sabotage, undermine, or repurpose Big Tech products — and teach others to do the same.
- For everyone else: stop supporting their products — yes, it’s possible.
- Build alliances with other movements: The fight against tech is connected to the fight against climate change, racial injustice, economic inequality, and more. Collaborate with other groups to build a stronger front.
- Stay united and refuse to normalize Tech power: Keep reminding your community that the fight continues — spread the word, start conversations, and keep the resistance alive.
- Take action at whatever level aligns with your comfort and risk: Take action at whatever level fits your comfort and risk: Sometimes a message scrawled in chalk can speak as loudly as spray paint—impact is all about context. A water balloon can be as effective as one filled with paint, and deflating a tire can disrupt just as much as slashing it. What matters is that every act, no matter how small, contributes to the larger struggle.
- Reduce risk when necessary: Sometimes smaller, coordinated actions spread across different locations can have as much, if not more, impact than one large, dramatic protest. Consistent, low-risk efforts can be just as powerful over time.
- Think outside the box: Simple approaches can be highly effective. For example, use legal loopholes to disrupt tech. A group of five people can block a tech bus by continually crossing a crosswalk at a stop sign. Just keep turning around and crossing again. Pedestrians have the right of way!
Art also plays a key role in this fight. We need to see art in our neighborhoods, supporting the fight. And let’s remember, resistance isn’t just about confrontation — it can be joyful too. Shout out to all the activists who mix joy with defiance, showing us that another world is possible. Fighting capitalist power structures should be fun!
We also need to challenge the idea that this tech-dominated system is unchangeable. We can imagine and create alternatives — communities that prioritize people over profit, and sustainability over endless growth. The battle against Big Tech in the Bay Area can set an example, but we need to act now.
Whether you’re in the Bay Area by choice or circumstance, living in the global center of Big Tech comes with a unique responsibility. It’s critical to recognize the broader, global stakes — but also to understand how these seemingly distant issues are directly linked to the local power structures that fuel and sustain them.
In 2024, Big Tech isn’t just part of capitalism — it is capitalism. These corporations, with their immense reach and influence, have become adversaries of humanity and the planet, driving environmental destruction, social inequality, and authoritarian control.
Living in the heart of the tech industry means we’re uniquely positioned to fight back in ways that resonate far beyond this region. Many of Big Tech’s headquarters, transport lines, and facilities sit right in front of us, hiding in plain sight, just waiting to be fucked with. By disrupting their local operations, we send a message of defiance that ripples across the globe. Each act of resistance brings us one step closer to the world we imagine.