Thugs

[lederhosen]

So, while reynardo and I were using our mobiles to coordinate a meetup with silverblue and brandtotter yesterday, apparently everybody else in Sydney was using theirs to arrange this charming display of thuggery.

Strike Force Seta will be there to pursue a criminal investigation ... examining videotape information, other information that may come to hand, photographic information to bring to justice those that are were responsible for the incitement, those that conducted other activities on the weekend

If, as reported, this was organised by text messaging, why would we be relying on videos and photographs? As a starting point, grab the recent SMS records of the ones who were arrested, then trace the propagation of those messages from person to person and charge every last son-of-a-bitch who forwarded them, under whichever statute covers incitement to riot.

Comments

[velvetink.livejournal.com]

It hasn't got any better tonight, hundreds are converging around a mosque in Lakemba and in Campsie too. It's like a plague spreading.

[scascot.livejournal.com]

If, as reported, this was organised by text messaging, why would we be relying on videos and photographs?

Probably because not everyone who received a text message attended the mob. Passing the text message along, however, is another thing entirely. Those people should be charged as an accessory, at the least. I'm willing to bet that the police have the list of who received and passed along the message, and are comparing that list against the video/photographic evidence of who was there.

[lederhosen.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's why I said everybody who forwarded it should be arrested. I agree that receiving it isn't evidence of guilt.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

As scascot indicated, receiving a message like that is not indication of guilt ---hell, I am pretty sure I know a few people who'd forward stupid bigoted e-mails to me under the misapprehension that I'd appreciate them--- but sending them surely is. Adn I know it's possible; in Turkey, for the central examinations, sometimes there are organized cheating cells that use SMS messaging and they are traced that way. So what gives?

[jazzmasterson.livejournal.com]

As Bruce Schneier has noted, European [german? - can't find link] police did something clever (although not quite similar) while investigating a terrorist incident; they received temporary authority to collect the mobile numbers of everyone who was in the arena before, during, and after the incident from the cell towers. Investigators SMS'd all those handsets with a request for information on anything matching the suspect profile. It resulted in seven arrests.

Also, they _didn't_ attach identities to all those numbers, they didn't try to track all the phones or create profiles on them, and the numbers were wiped afterwards. These are notable because it shows that you can effectively use the location and phone information available without invading privacy.

Anyway, I agree with you on the forwarding, rather than receiving. That's a pretty clear voluntary act of inciting a riot.