[cschroe]

Pilate was indeed the governor. But it was the chief priests of the Jews that were the community organizers, as Mark 15:11 reminds us:

 9 "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?"
 asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of envy that the chief 
 priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief 
 priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release 
 Barabbas instead.

[NavyCanDo]

“Pilate was indeed the governor. But it was the chief priests of the Jews that were the community organizers, as Mark 15:11 reminds us:”

Very well thought out point. The whole seen was brilliantly played out in the movie The Passion, and done so I think probably very accurately.