Electronic Disturbance Theater

The Electronic Disturbance Theater (EDT), established in 1997 by performance artist and published writer Ricardo Dominguez, is an electronic company of cyber activists, critical theorists, and performance artists who engage in the development of both the theory and practice of non-violent acts of defiance across and between digital and non-digital spaces. Ricardo Dominguez, Brett Stalbaum, Stefan Wray, and Carmin Karasic collectively form EDT. Taking the idea of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the EDT members always used their real names. As a collective group they organize and program computer software to show their views against anti-propagandist and military actions, and begin mobilizing micronetworks to act in solidarity by staging virtual sit-ins online and allowing the emergence of a collective presence in direct digital actions.

The EDT created a program to allow Electronic Civil Disobedience (ECD), called FloodNet a form of hacktivism which would help create the simulation of a sit-in protest over the Internet simply known as a virtual sit-in demonstration to disrupt Zapatista oppressors' websites, by overloading their computer networks and servers. The Electronic Disturbance Theater group have the belief that the Internet should not be used purely as a means for communication and data exchange. Instead it is also a forum for direct action.

Current active members of the Electronic Disturbance Theater, who refer to themselves at Electronic Disturbance Theater 2.0 include Brett Stalbaum, Amy Sara Carroll, Elle Mehrmand, Micha Cárdenas, and Ricardo Dominguez. The group has received a storm of media attention for their new project, the Transborder Immigrant Tool, which they have described as the next step of Electronic Civil Disobedience, or ECD 2.0. The group is currently under investigation for their Virtual Sit-In in support of the 2010 March 4 strikes and occupations in support of public education. The Transborder Immigrant Tool was shown in numerous museums and galleries in 2010, including the California Biennial at the Orange County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, and at the Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco.

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