Bilderberg protest gets viral

Two weeks ago, in Sitges (Barcelona) a group of 150 people met in front of Hotel Dolce – where the Bilderberg Club meeting was being held – to protest against the establishment of the New World Order. The protest was led by Rafael Palacios, an independent journalist and founder of the Stop SecretS Movement, a body that looks to uncover secrets hidden by states and powerful businesses. Catalan Police stopped protesters from taking any pictures of the Bilderbergers. Nonetheless, the protest did as it intended and word began to spread around the web.

Spanish bloggers have been fervent about these events – more so than the traditional media – with most of them making reference to alleged conspiracy theories. Though some bloggers are more skeptical than others, there is consensus on the fact that Bilderberger’s discussions should be opened to the public. Currently, opposition bodies often refer to them as the ‘Governmment in the shadow’.

Sharing, commenting and posting in social networks and embedding videos relating to the protest has helped a small manifestation to gain column inches on the Spanish web. It has also achieved international coverage on some of the world’s most influential newspapers. An article on The Guardian site became one of the most viewed pieces in the days after the protests, and videos of the events reached the Top 10 most viewed on Youtube.

Again, the Internet has provided a platform for those that would have been ignored prior to its existence. Web 2.0 has allowed the general public to become generators of influential content, regardless of their economic resources or ideological views. From this, a generation of individuals has emerged, posting information they think is newsworthy and thus providing an alternative voice to the traditional media. This allows ordinary people to distribute their opinions around the world at the click of a button. The blogosphere generates an alternative source of information and is becoming increasingly influential over younger generations.