How people are trafficked within the Renaissance Festival and reenactment circuit.
There is a certain mystique that comes with working at a Renaissance Festival, these events frequently bring in people who are having difficulty fitting in with the more mundane world. The festival offers them a chance to dress in a way that feeds their soul, interact with larger-than-life characters, and for a few hours forget the world outside of those gates. Most of the time these folks come, get their fill of the magic, and leave with no harm being done and being unaware of the dangers lurking at the fringes.
When most people think of how a trafficking organization is set up they frequently think of it as a clandestine organization structured much like a pyramid, with everything going up the hill until you get to a ring leader, when in reality it is an hourglass shape.
From the top of the hourglass, the victims are brought in, and moved toward the funnel at the base of the triangle, then when they reach that point, it is not a ring leader they meet, but distribution, distribution of videos, pictures, and many more sellable commodities that these evil people use to make millions every year.
First, let me say this, most of the time these festivals and events are safe and no harm will come to a person. But sometimes they are not so safe.
Let’s discuss the actors in this dangerous game, they go by many names but can be broken down into a few subcategories that identify their roles.
The Searchers, are the folks on the ground, they are looking for someone alone, looking distracted or overcome, and are drawn to a certain shop or act, the Searchers will take photos of these people and send them to the collectors who decide if they want to pursue this individual.
The Collectors are the ones within those acts or shops who seek out the person and interact with them, they befriend them and make them feel accepted, from an outside view this just seems like salesmanship, but unlike a person trying to get the customer to spend money with them, the collector is grooming this person to be trafficked. They may give the person gifts or passes for the show, they will talk to them about working for their act or their shop because they need the help.
Once the targeted individual begins to associate with the shop regularly or even becomes an employee, the Trafficker will ask them to hang around after hours or to go with them to the next show to work the booth. They are trying to separate the targeted person from their support structure at home, to distance them from assistance once they are in deep enough. Frequently the ring leader gives the target food or drinks laced with substances that lower inhibitions, the target is encouraged to “go further” with a person whose interest they caught, because “it’s a time to expand your wings”. Many times the individual paid the ring leader to get them and the target together when the group leaves the festival and the target accompanies them the target is well and truly indoctrinated, the target is made to believe that if they misbehave their “pass” can be pulled and they would be fired and stranded in whatever city they are in, the drugs keep coming, sometimes the target is even aware they are taking the drugs, but they don’t recognize they are being sold to the people they are partying with.
What we look for in identifying a potentially trafficked person are things that always require looking into a bit more.
1. A person won’t leave the shop unless the manager or another trusted superior is with them, this is to ensure the victim isn’t running off or talking about them being trafficked.
2. The victim is acting overtly sexual in inappropriate places, they are flirting with people strongly, they are frequently going to after-hours bonfires and being flirty, or making strong indications they are interested in going off alone with someone.
3. Their managers won’t let the leadership of advocacy groups interact with the victim, often interjecting themselves into the interaction and directing the victim to other tasks.
Other behaviors present themselves, but the clues we look for is a person who is being controlled 24 hours a day to one degree or another. Trafficking isn’t always sexual, often the trafficked individuals are being used for unpaid or poorly paid labor in exchange for room and board, and often the trafficked victim isn’t aware they are being trafficked.
In general, the areas we see the most often being collection points for traffickers include traveling stage acts and shops. Locally groups such as fairies, mermaids, fantasy creatures, jousting/theatrical violence, as well as local crafters.
What can we as cast and crew do to interfere with these evil individuals?
1. Be vigilant, look for the lonely and socially withdrawn individuals, invite them into your space, let them feel welcome with nothing required of them, and warn them of potential threats.
2. Keep an eye out for signs of distress, the palm wrapping around the thumb is a universal sign of distress, as are instances where someone is never seen without one or two of the same person with them. often trafficking victims will have a tattoo or branding, be nosey, ask them what the significance of the mark is, and ask a lot of questions!
3. Bring your concerns up to your group or your circle of friends, many eyes on a problem can make less work, but do not make accusations, the traffickers may transfer, harm or kill the victim in order to avoid trouble, be the best witness you can.
4. Let someone with security powers know ASAP, call local law enforcement if needed.
But what if I see a sign of distress and need to act to save a life?
A technique that has worked for many people is what we call the “disappearing pig trick” which is a name taken from the movie Willow. this requires two people, person A distracts the trafficker, perhaps asking them questions or re-directing their attention away from the victim, and Person B slides in and walks with the victim a way, as if asking them questions, once several feet away, taking the victim and disappearing, whether into a shop, out a gate, throwing a cloak around them, or moving to another large group. Once it is safe to do so contact the security for the event.
Person A be prepared to keep the suspected trafficker occupied as long as possible, be prepared for a negative response, and take any defensive measures required to keep yourself safe.