Welcome back for the 4th Edition of Cypherpunk Underground, an educational primer for defeating the dystopian surveillance state. If you haven't read the previous chapters they can be found on Free2z.cash here

Cypherpunk Underground Ch 4 - Gray Man: The Art of Being Unremarkable

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In this Chapter we will begin to discuss the idea of being the "Gray Man". Part 1 will draw from others failure and success in staying gray. Our hope is that these case studies will serve as context for following parts that discuss tactics and techniques.

Urban Dicitonary definition of the Gray Man:

This term describes the intentional act of dressing and behaving in an inconspicuous manner, in order to avoid any unwanted attention from strangers or authorities. The goal is to dress, walk, and behave as a local, without attracting any attention to yourself. To "blend in" in a foreign (usually hostile) environment. To be visible and yet invisible at the same time. It is a term sometimes used by special forces or espionage operatives, in scenarios when an operative in the field must assume the disguise of an average, unremarkable local civilian. The goal is to use this disguise in order to travel unchecked through populated, urban areas whilst remaining undetected, and to avoid attracting any attention to himself or his real identity as a foreign agent.

The mantra of the gray man has obvious benefits for Underground Cypherpunks. Think of your city and area... likely there are good sides of town and sketchy parts of town. Although everyone is from the same city it is usually not hard to see who doesn't belong in certain neighborhoods. Do you often see a businessman in skid row? The panhandler in the gated community? Likely not. Now think about if you were trying to blend into a neighborhood that you don't belong. Will you pull it off? It's difficult for sure, and the results of getting it wrong could be disastrous.

Case Study: The Belfast Corporal Incident

British Army corporals Derek Wood and David Howes were killed by the Provisional IRA on 19 March 1988 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in what became known as the corporals killings. The soldiers were wearing civilian clothes, both armed with Browning Hi power pistols and in a civilian car accidently drove into the funeral procession of an IRA member. Corporals Wood and Howes were wearing civilian clothes and driving in a silver Volkswagen Passat hatchback. The Mac Brádaigh funeral was making its way along the Andersonstown Road towards Milltown Cemetery when the corporals' car appeared from the opposite direction. The car drove straight towards the front of the funeral, which was headed by several black taxis. It drove past a Sinn Féin steward who had signalled it to turn. Mourners at the funeral said they believed they were under attack from Ulster loyalists. The car turned into a small side road scattering mourners posted along the street. When this road was blocked, it then reversed at speed, ending up within the funeral procession. Corporal Wood attempted to drive the car out of the procession but his exit route was blocked by a black taxi.

An angry crowd surrounded the car, smashed the windows, and attempted to drag the soldiers out. Wood produced a Browning Hi-Power 9mm handgun, which each of the soldiers was armed with. Wood climbed partly out of a window and fired a shot in the air, which briefly scattered the crowd. The crowd then surged back, with some of them attacking the car with a wheel-brace and a stepladder snatched from a photographer. The corporals were eventually pulled from the car and punched and kicked to the ground. They were then brought to to a nearby sports ground where they were beaten, stripped and searched. They were then driven to a nearby waste ground where they were shot dead.

In this scenario the British soldiers blended in well with their surroundings but due to an unfortunate wrong turn and some erratic movements they drew undue attention to themselves that cost them their lives. -Source

Vintage news reel of the incident:

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Case Study 2: BLM and J6 Riots

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In the time since the J6 Riot there has been footage of supposed law enforcement and anarchist provocateurs within the crowd. Lets look at some pictures and videos to see how well they did at staying "gray"

What sticks out with this group? Here is what I see. Short cropped hair, lack of side burns, lack of facial hair, above average physical condition, military style watches, younger than a majority of the crowd, possible "printing" of a concealed weapon of both men in the center and lack of political attire common to the crowd. All of this suggests them to be members of law enforcement or the military. Perhaps they wouldn't have stuck out as much if they weren't dressed for a backyard barbeque.

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This video from the 2021 J6 Riot allegedly shows "Antifa" members changing from their traditional black blok clothing into the more common MAGA attire worn by protesters and rioters. This is surely an effective disguise in the situation, but the execution of the uniform change was executed extremely poorly. If you are going to attempt a disguise it is best to apply that away from prying eyes.

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This candid video of Antifa in traditional black blok brings up an interesting discussion. If you were attempting to blend in with the crowd you would surely be wearing black. But what if the situation was a little different? What if a certain type of dress made you a target? Looking like everyone else isn't to your benefit if authorities are rounding EVERYONE up. What could you wear that wouldn't cause you grief with the protestors but also wouldn't draw the eye of law enforcement? What would a passerby look like? How would you move through the crowd?

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A Simple Deception: Doug Hegdahl

Douglas Hegdahl was a United States Navy sailor who was helo captive by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. While captive in the famous "Hanoi Hilton" prison Douglas pretended to mentally handicapped gaining the nickname from his captors as "the incredibly stupid one". His perceived handicap took suspicion of him and he used this to his advantage to gather information on the camp and other American prisoners. During his time in captivity he was able to memorize the names of over 200 other captives and other vital intelligence about the camp poperations and layout. Due to his perceived mental handicap and lack of usefullness to the Vietnamese captors he was one of the first prisoners returned to the United States. The information he provided helped ensure the eventual return of American prisoners from Vietnam.

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Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will discuss everyday things that are hidden in plain sight.

If you like this content and have a suggestion on something the Cypherpunk Underground needs to know please leave a message or send a private memo.

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