the police forces of geneve are publishing photos of 39 anti-globlisation activists on their official website in their search for supposedly violent protesters during the recent anti-g8 protests in june.
internet-users are asked to help in identifying these “casseurs” engl. = destroyers.
geneva police had been surprisingly passive during the protests in early june. without a doubt this had to do with the watchful eye of the world media turned onto them, controlling every move of the police, making shure, that the disasterous police campaigns in genoa a few years prior could not repeat themselves. with this passive stance the police allowed an incredible amount of destruction of property to occur, which now they want clarified. (is it not better to prevent such destruction?) but to publish photos of supposed offenders in such a way seems hardly legal, putting in danger such principals as the benefit of the doubt.
the police spokesperson argues, that in police inquieries of this caliber all instruments, all media, have to be used, especially a modern medium like the internet, which everybody is able to use nowadays.
but what results is a sort of public denunciation, that was unheard of in previous years. it is a known fact, that right-wing militants are very agile in their use of the internet and they have proved in the past, that they will not shy away from singleing out and aggressing left-wing militants, once they are able to identify them. but other extremly problematic situations are conceivable: apprentices or employees recognised by their employers, sons or daughters by their parents, students by their teachers. and some of these situations might produce strong private repercussions. and all this based on mere suspicions at this point. any offender is innocent until proven guilty, or is it not?
it is one thing to publizise photos of killers or bankrobbers. but these political activists can be charged with destruction of property at the most – hardly an offense that justifies such a public witch-hunt.
oh how in times like these i wished i was a hacker …
[first read about this in le matin (the page might be open 4 subscribers only after today)]