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Mobile users told to 'chase Bush'
BBC ^ | November 18, 2003 | BBC

Posted on 11/19/2003 9:37:08 AM PST by BillF

Mobile users told to 'chase Bush'

Protesters angry about the "security bubble" around President George Bush on his UK visit are being asked to use gadgets to be heard and seen.

The Chasing Bush campaign is asking people to "disrupt the PR" of the visit by spoiling stage-managed photos.

They are being encouraged to send location reports and images by mobile to be posted on the Chasing Bush site.

"We want to give people a chance to be a visible voice of dissatisfaction," said campaign organiser Tim Ireland.

Not smiling

Technologies like text messaging and weblogs have been successfully used in the past to co-ordinate routes and meet-up points for mass protests.

But the gadgets are now being used more proactively to make protests more visible and disrupt any potential stage-managing of the President's visit.

"We have been described as a second generation smart mob. We are encouraging people to use camera phones and send us e-mails with photos," campaign co-organiser Richard Wild explained to BBC News Online.

"We are trying to spoil the PR, so we are not doing anything directly, but encouraging people to protest by turning their backs in press photos so they can't be used."

The campaign organisers have also asked people to go into protest "exclusion zones" to send SMS updates and on-location reports about his appearances, and events at protests.

"We want to show everyone in the world we are doing this and we using the web channels to influence mainstream channels as much as possible," said Mr Ireland.

All the messages and pictures will be posted on the website as soon as they are received.

The site has been designed to be low bandwidth so it can be updated in real time via appropriate mobile phones using GRPS or laptops from anywhere, said Mr Wild.

Bush's 'bubble'

The massive security measures for the President's visit are unprecedented. A huge £5m police operation has been mounted with 14,000 officers covering the visit.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected at an anti-war march on Thursday.

The security measures have been put in place in response to fears about public disorder, but also a heightened terrorist threat from al-Qaeda.

A ring of 700 of the President's own secret service agents and security advisers will surround him in a mobile "bubble" amid fears of terror attacks.

Some newspapers and websites were reporting mobile phone signals could be blocked for fear they could remote-control a bomb.

But Scotland Yard has denied reports that police were considering shutting mobile phone masts during protests.

A spokesperson told BBC News Online they were "not prepared to discuss matters of security".

Although it "would be extremely unusual to do that, and authority would have to be cleared with all the appropriate regulators."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: antiwar; bush; iraq; lefties; peaceprotestors; uk; ukvisit; warprotestors
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To: BillF
We have been described as a second generation smart mob.

Something like that, except I believe the correct term is "smarta**."

21 posted on 11/19/2003 10:12:35 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: Ichneumon
It's putting crimp in their plans to cause mayhem and possibly harm to the POTUS?
22 posted on 11/19/2003 10:16:32 AM PST by nuffsenuff
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To: Snowy
I double dog dare ya!

I triple-dog dare ya! ; )

23 posted on 11/19/2003 10:17:42 AM PST by Prime Choice (This Post is Rated "Conservative": May Be Too Intense for Liberal Viewers.)
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To: BillF
Time for some disinformation on that site. ;-)
24 posted on 11/19/2003 10:21:12 AM PST by FreedomPoster (this space intentionally blank)
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To: BillF
I added my comments to their little site.
25 posted on 11/19/2003 10:23:27 AM PST by gitmo (Stability cannot be purchased at the expense of liberty. -GWB)
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To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; dubyaismypresident; Grani; coug97; ...
These clowns think they're funny.

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

26 posted on 11/19/2003 10:26:48 AM PST by mhking
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To: mhking
but encouraging people to protest by turning their backs in press photos so they can't be used."

Probably their best sides anyway.....

Prairie

27 posted on 11/19/2003 10:36:01 AM PST by prairiebreeze (My dad, a WWII veteran always said that America's best ally was...Britain. He was right.)
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To: Coop
Do these people have jobs?
28 posted on 11/19/2003 10:41:37 AM PST by JFC
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To: BillF
Mobile users told to 'chase Bush'

Boy, won't clintoon be pi$$ed when he get's off of the plane and realizes that they are referring to the President!
29 posted on 11/19/2003 10:45:05 AM PST by cspackler (There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.)
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To: JFC
I expect many of them are the typical unemployable malcontent on the long-term dole by choice.
30 posted on 11/19/2003 10:45:52 AM PST by FreedomPoster (this space intentionally blank)
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To: BillF
The protesters display their debating skills.


31 posted on 11/19/2003 10:46:37 AM PST by Madame Dufarge
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To: BillF
"Police pushing reporters out of the way to get to protesters who are throwing objects (banners etc) at / near Buckingham Palace."

Such a peaceful lot...kinda like the Palestinian rock throwers...all they want is peace.
32 posted on 11/19/2003 10:49:45 AM PST by jonalvy44
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To: BillF
BBC will die if their heavily promoted demos flop.
33 posted on 11/19/2003 10:56:49 AM PST by aculeus
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To: BillF
Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected at an anti-war march on Thursday.

Probably a very good thing this mob was not around in late 1930s and early 1940s or the Brits would be speaking high German and seigh heiling right about now in their little brown uniforms.

34 posted on 11/19/2003 11:02:25 AM PST by RetiredArmy (We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American Way! Toby Keith)
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To: FairOpinion
"Around 200 protesters gathered at Jubilee Gardens on London's South Bank for a colourful parade. "

WOW!!
200..das impressive.

35 posted on 11/19/2003 11:08:28 AM PST by evad (The only reform we need is basic RAT reform)
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To: Coop
I think it's been downgraded to 50-60 thousand.
36 posted on 11/19/2003 11:09:10 AM PST by CyberAnt (America .. the LIGHT of the World)
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To: Prime Choice
Now why would you want to go and tell them that ..??
37 posted on 11/19/2003 11:10:16 AM PST by CyberAnt (America .. the LIGHT of the World)
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To: CyberAnt
I think it's been downgraded to 50-60 thousand.

Amateurs! :-p

38 posted on 11/19/2003 11:10:20 AM PST by Coop (God bless our troops!)
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To: mhking
Thanks. I'm having fun over there.
39 posted on 11/19/2003 11:10:55 AM PST by Celtjew Libertarian (Shake Hands with the Serpent: Poetry by Charles Lipsig aka Celtjew http://books.lulu.com/lipsig)
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To: BillF
The RNC should have SMS alerts for people. When something happens, a single message sent out to all republicans. Imagine how many more people we would have had in 2000.
40 posted on 11/19/2003 11:11:42 AM PST by longtermmemmory
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