A system for temporarily blinding selected occupants of an area, the system comprising: a flashing unit that includes a light source configured to generate flashes of light, wherein the flashes have an intensity that is sufficient to temporarily blind people who see the flashes, a driver circuit configured to drive the light source and cause the light source to generate a flash of light in response to each assertion of a first control signal, wherein the flash of light has an intensity that is sufficient to temporarily blind people who see the flash, and a first controller configured to (a) store data that specifies a predetermined time sequence for activating the light source , wherein the predetermined time sequence specifies a relative time at which each of the flashes should occur, and (b) assert the first control signal at appropriate times, so as to cause the driver circuit to drive the light source at times that are specified by the predetermined time sequence; and an eye protection unit that includes a shutter that responds to a second control signal so as to block light when the second control signal is asserted and to transmit light when the second control signal is not asserted, and a second controller configured to (a) store the data that specifies the predetermined time sequence for activating the light source , and (b) assert the second control signal at appropriate times, so as to cause the shutter to start blocking light before each flash begins, to continue blocking light until after each flash has ended, and to transmit light between flashes, wherein the first controller and the second controller are synchronized in time prior to assertion of the first control signal by the first controller , and wherein each of the first controller and the second controller is configured to change, at coordinated times, the data that is used to specify the predetermined time sequence for activating the light source . a light source configured to generate flashes of light, wherein the flashes have an intensity that is sufficient to temporarily blind people who see the flashes, a driver circuit configured to drive the light source and cause the light source to generate a flash of light in response to each assertion of a first control signal, wherein the flash of light has an intensity that is sufficient to temporarily blind people who see the flash, and a first controller configured to (a) store data that specifies a predetermined time sequence for activating the light source , wherein the predetermined time sequence specifies a relative time at which each of the flashes should occur, and (b) assert the first control signal at appropriate times, so as to cause the driver circuit to drive the light source at times that are specified by the predetermined time sequence; and an eye protection unit that includes a shutter that responds to a second control signal so as to block light when the second control signal is asserted and to transmit light when the second control signal is not asserted, and a second controller configured to (a) store the data that specifies the predetermined time sequence for activating the light source , and (b) assert the second control signal at appropriate times, so as to cause the shutter to start blocking light before each flash begins, to continue blocking light until after each flash has ended, and to transmit light between flashes, wherein the first controller and the second controller are synchronized in time prior to assertion of the first control signal by the first controller , and wherein each of the first controller and the second controller is configured to change, at coordinated times, the data that is used to specify the predetermined time sequence for activating the light source . <EOS>