Protesting For Sale

[Kia]

I found this article on the BBC World News Website:

Germans put price on protesting (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6292341.stm)


This is really sickening. To me this seems to defeat the whole point of protesting, isnt it about ones opinions and passion for the subject being protested that matters? Whats your guys opinion?

[Kropotkin Has a Posse]

That's crap. It's truly cheating the whole idea, especially since we usually are aspiring towards a less money-oriented society.

[Janus]

It's pretty sad at how much capitalism has commodified our lives. Of course, this kind of stuff is understandable in that it's a middle ground between modeling and soldier's for hire.

[TheGhostOfTomJoad]

Seems like a cheap way to make some cash, nothing more. I believe though, if it&#39;s a worthy protest, (and worthy protest organizers <_< ), "protest mercenaries" won&#39;t be necessary nor thought about as a possible option.

[Phalanx]

This is extremely sad. These protesters aren&#39;t driven by a desire to change the world, they&#39;re driven by a desire to get rich off political instability. Fuck &#39;em.

[Demogorgon]

I don&#39;t know whether to laugh or to puke.

[Pilgrim]

If there&#39;s one way for any protest cause to shoot itself in the foot it&#39;ll be to employ any of these clowns.

Opposition groups would have a field day if they could publicise the fact that a protest was populated by folk who had to be paid simply to turn up.

They should be shunned by all and sundry IMHO.

[bcbm]

Shit... I wish I could get paid to protest. I mean, if I&#39;m going to be there anyway, might as well make some cash off it.

[Question everything]

I say ship you pig banks off to them comrades&#33; :o and tell them to protest mercenary protestors&#33;&#33;&#33; :lol: I&#39;d like to see that&#33;&#33;&#33; :D

[Severian]

It might be part of the more general phenom of "astroturf": corporate-funded organizations that try to look grassroots.

I know in the U.S. people are often hired to circulate petitions; especially getting people on the ballot. For Perot&#39;s campaigns and especially for all those ballot initiatives in California. There are companies that will get anything on the ballot for you, if you have the money.

[sp468732]

Give a new meaning to a song by the Dead Kennedys, "Anarchy for sale"

[Colombia]

Where have you guys been? This happens in Washington all the time&#33;

[dogwoodlover]

I see corporations (or right-wing groups funded by corporations) paying people like these sometime in the distant future.

Someday we&#39;ll sit in front of our television watching marches and protests and we&#39;ll wonder whether they&#39;ll real or not.

[antioj18]

makes you wonder how long and how many times this has happened. Imagiine a protest you saw or read about or was part of and then you find out 50% of the people that were there were there for money.

[seraphim]

This has been happening for years people protesting for the sake of protesting without any clue as to the issues involved this is just the unfortunate end product.