When protesters confront DHS agents, the encounters usually involve shouting, waving signs, and occasionally shoving their protest materials at the officers. Some of these confrontations have even escalated into violence. However, one Oregon protester recently came up with a clever and harmless way to provoke a reaction from a DHS agent without resorting to aggression. Instead of shouting, this protester brought along a tiny toy hand, small enough to fit snugly on his index finger. He began wagging the finger at a nearby DHS agent while mockingly asking whether the officer felt like a “big boy” wearing full tactical gear and carrying weapons. The absurdity of the words combined with the comically tiny hand created a starkly contrasting image, one that would likely infuriate anyone on the receiving end.
The DHS agent, of course, tried to remain stoic, keeping his gaze forward and doing his best to ignore the protester, who continued to chant, “Who’s the good boy?” But even patience has its limits. Eventually, the officer decided to walk away rather than risk escalating the situation. The Oregon protester waved the tiny hand in triumph as the agent departed, continuing his chant in defiance.
This unconventional tactic didn’t just amuse local observers. Many internet users praised the Oregon protester for his inventive approach to dealing with DHS officers. “Honestly, one of the best ways to handle these types,” one user wrote. “If you go absurd enough, they’re left too deflated to even act aggressively.”
Others questioned the presence of DHS agents in Portland in the first place. “They sent armed officers to a peaceful city. No riots, no looting, nothing. And yet these Rambo wannabes are walking around with rifles. The stuff of third-world dictatorships. America, we honestly thought more of you,” commented one redditor.
Some users couldn’t resist joking about the tiny-hand scenario and the protesters’ chant. “I will absolutely never quit laughing at the tiny hands. They are still hilarious to me,” one user wrote.
Another pointed out the power of absurdity as a nonviolent tactic. “The best weapon against them is absurdity. It’s the one thing they can’t anticipate and can’t respond to without looking ridiculous. That’s how Portland handled situations in 2020: marching bands in banana costumes, unicorns, pandas, tubas… it was amazing. It worked because beating a guy in a panda costume looks terrible, and shooting a tuba player in a full-length banana costume is worse. But when you go home and your six-year-old asks why you shot the unicorn, that’s when the violence stops.”
