Woe to those unfortunate souls who work in the London offices of British Petroleum. An angry soul in Brooklyn is marshalling an army of like-minded souls and arming each man, woman and child with the most deadly of instrument — the vuvuzela — for an impromptu concert outside your building.
Writes Adam Quirk in his description of Vuvuzelas for BP:
BP is not feeling the pain they are causing in the Gulf. BP is spending millions on PR. In order to put a bit of public pressure on them, we plan to buy 100 vuvuzelas and hire 100 vuvuzela players off Craigslist to play in front of BP’s International Headquarters in London for a one-day flash mob.
Quirk has already managed to raise the $1,000 needed to purchase and ship the god-awful plastic noisemakers and hire people to play them — though I have a feeling there won’t be any need to hire out for this one.
The remaining pledges, which right now total over $2,100, are to be donated to the Center for Biological Diversity.
He’s now looking for folks in the UK to help out as organizers, players, videographers and photographers.
I’m just glad that BP’s not headquartered in NYC — or anywhere within 100 miles of NYC — because I have a feeling this might get loud.
Brooklyn Man to Unleash Ultimate Suffering Upon BP by Way of Vuvuzela [VillageVoice.com]
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Please. The better tactic is to tell the millions of Africans that BP hates soccer and Africans. Let them get all in a tizzy and protest in London then.
I’m pretty sure Africans already know BP hates them.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-delta-shell
ah, BP pipelines in Africa, one last bastion of colonialism
Most 2010 story?
First, BP =/= British Petroleum anymore. Their name is BP. That’s like calling the current AT&T by its old name, SBC.
You’re right.
They’re Beyond Petroleum.
I cant wait till we’re beyond petroleum
+1
niiice.
Actually it would be like calling SBC by it’s old name Southwestern Bell Corp.
Actually, I believe SBC was their actual official name for a while… but you just reinforced by point.
Actually, it’d be like calling AT&T “American Telephone & Telegraph”
Southwestern Bell Corp changed their name to SBC, just like British Petroleum turned to BP and American Telegraph and Telephone turned into AT&T Corp.
My point is that BP is at least the initials for British Petroleum, but SBC wasn’t AT&T’s initial.
Calling AT&T SBC is just wrong, but at least calling BP british petrol you’re close.
You’re right about AT&T.
A few days of this and we might see some action.
Ahhhhh… I just love creative protests. Especially when it’s not passive or violent but just damn annoying.
Given that their terror laws as as bad as our in the US I expect all participants to be jailed as terrorists.
Are the donations enough to cover the bail money for the inevitable “disturbing the peace” arrests?
In all seriousness, I can definitely see this being successful. Nothing forces a multi-national oil conglomerate to swing into action faster than 100 misguided idiots blowing into plastic horns after being wrangled by a trust-fund hipster 3500 miles away.
exactly, There Will Be Handcuffs
and will anyone even hear them? those skyscraper windows are pretty thick, though not as thick as the protesters’ heads
Eh, at least they’re trying to raise money for donations. So, we’re doing better than the damn ninja turtle protest already. Not sure about disturbing the peace laws over there, but if they can garner support with it then it’s at least a little better. Self indulgent as fuck, but better.
Almost makes me want to be a yuppy and “Like” this on Facebook.
I loves it.
It’ll be really annoying at first but then-BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
They need to do the same thing here in Houston at BPs West Lake office.. I would love to join in if that ever got off the ground..
There are professional vuvuzela players?
There will be, if they’re paid to do it.
I’m okay with that. It’s the idea that there might be people who do this as a vocation that terrifies me.
I’m adding that to my resume right now.
I hate those things, and I’d still gladly be a part of this.Tinnitus be damned!
sh*t like this is what gives protesting/social activism a bad name, “if we blow a bunch of plastic horns, they HAVE to take us seriously!!”
I would fly to London on my OWN DIME to play a vuvuzela at BP!!!!
This guy hiring vuvuzela players off Craigslist for his protest sounds like the time Kramer hired the homeless to pull rickshaws. This can only end badly.
But hilariously!
Vuvuzela is going to be the NEW protest weapon if this succeeds… another Non-Violent way to get your “voice” heard… I am unbelievably FOR THIS.
I have a vuvuzela, and I love it.
However, I can no longer play it without someone threatening my safety.
Having an excuse to play it makes me a happy bunny, so yaaay PROTESTS!
I looked up the official address for BP’s head quarters in London.
http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=1+St+James%27s+Square+London,+SW1Y+4PD+UK&fb=1&gl=us&hnear=&cid=0,0,11373632132391825615&ei=1MMsTNvKGoL68AaHwpGUDQ&ved=0CBkQnwIwAA&hq=1+St+James%27s+Square+London,+SW1Y+4PD+UK&ll=51.507794,-0.134926&spn=0,0.033023&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=51.507704,-0.134821&panoid=EN1-4TpWwmlpBowfvv7BTg&cbp=12,71.21,,0,-17.57
Google Maps Street View, I’m severely disappointed in that this is there head quarters…at least there is plenty of room for people to protest.
Why not crowd source in the local area? This is a great idea.
One problem with that. Some parts of Britain play the bagpipes. If you can listen to bagpipe music, vuvuzela honkings is a piece of cake.
OK hipsters. Have fun with your hearing loss, because all you are doing is making yourselves go deaf with your little “protest.” You may slightly annoy BP office workers for a few minutes (as long as your puny little lungs can blow those things before you give up and go home), but the hearing loss you cause to yourselves is a gift that will keep on giving.
They have this neat new invention called “ear plugs”. Can’t be worse than hearing loss with most musicians.
I love how you call protesters “hippsters”. Im glad you consider them that way. Anyways, Im going to go watch the latest protester execution on Iranian TV.
“we plan to buy 100 vuvuzelas and hire 100 vuvuzela players”
Oh. Only 100. How overwhelming. Outside an office building. Yes, everyone inside will hear that. Sure.
Better if you splat the whole front of the building and cover the windows with black paint.