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I wasn't there, but the 'abandoned van' is an old police tactic to give the media their 'riot porn' pictures.
Notice any coverage of the day on the tv will be accompanied by pictures/video of the van being attacked. Just as the windows being broken at Millhouse become the main pictures used by mainstream media in subsequent reporting of anything to do with the event. It makes out protesters to be riotous and violent, and gives the police the excuse they need to behave aggressively both there and at subsequent protests. The police also want to keep their budgets up, so such pictures 'prove' to politicians they shouldn't slash police budgets, or this is what happens.
The first few days after the G20 in London, the mainstream media pictures were of the bank windows being broken (while the police held back!) Only after the video of Ian Tomlinson being killed by a policeman did the subsequent media images change.
Police have media teams dedicated to PR and whose job is to orchestrate media images and reporting to show themselves in a good light, and protesters to be violent thugs. The lazy media often just regurgitate the police line on events. In the first hours after Jean Charles de Menezes was shot to death by police, the media unquestioningly reported the police statement that he was carrying a rucksack, vaulted the barriers etc which all turned out to be police lies, part of an attempt at a cover-up.
Be alert for other potential 'riot' images at the next big demos.
Given that most protestors are not the brightest tools in the box (Ie. are they really that bored that they can't think of any better ways of spending their free time), the thought of a bunch of Hyenas mauling a dead lamb springs to mind.
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
fishing
25.11.2010 21:29
Bulldozer
The van and police media manipulation.
25.11.2010 21:36
Notice any coverage of the day on the tv will be accompanied by pictures/video of the van being attacked.
Just as the windows being broken at Millhouse become the main pictures used by mainstream media in subsequent reporting of anything to do with the event. It makes out protesters to be riotous and violent, and gives the police the excuse they need to behave aggressively both there and at subsequent protests.
The police also want to keep their budgets up, so such pictures 'prove' to politicians they shouldn't slash police budgets, or this is what happens.
The first few days after the G20 in London, the mainstream media pictures were of the bank windows being broken (while the police held back!)
Only after the video of Ian Tomlinson being killed by a policeman did the subsequent media images change.
Police have media teams dedicated to PR and whose job is to orchestrate media images and reporting to show themselves in a good light, and protesters to be violent thugs. The lazy media often just regurgitate the police line on events.
In the first hours after Jean Charles de Menezes was shot to death by police, the media unquestioningly reported the police statement that he was carrying a rucksack, vaulted the barriers etc which all turned out to be police lies, part of an attempt at a cover-up.
Be alert for other potential 'riot' images at the next big demos.
Watch it!
Not suitable
25.11.2010 23:25
Fucking obvious
"A distraction is only a distraction if you pay attention to it." -- Unknown
26.11.2010 00:08
operation big trump
re Watch It!
26.11.2010 01:07
Archimentopolous
another van
26.11.2010 02:37
Here's another police sacrificial van, from 30 November 1999 at Euston Station, London...
tree