Monday, May 16, 2011

Kochs pranked -- again


Photo courtesy Good Politics
The Koch brothers like it when they're recognized for contributing to the ballet. They hate it when they're recognized for contributing to union-busting and the Tea Party. So it was especially delightful to read about the Yes Men's latest prank on the union-busting billionaires.

A protest scheduled in New York City last week was to feature a screening of excerpts from the Brave New Films video about the brothers. They called it a "Guerilla Drive-in" event but didn't disclose the location. At the last minute, 500 protesters were directed to Lincoln Center, where the New York State Theater had been renamed the "David H. Koch Theater."

Yes Men pranksters pasted a giant speech-balloon sticker on the wall of the theater, just above the name "David H. Koch." As you can see from the photo, it said, "I'm the Tea Party's wallet."

Forbes reports,
Director Robert Greenwald’s opening gambit in what he pledges will be a year-long effort to publicize the Koch brothers‘ political efforts drew about 500 protesters to Lincoln Center in New York last night, ending with an unauthorized “rebranding” of the Center’s David H. Koch Theater with the caption “…I’m the Tea Party’s wallet”
Robert Greenwald wants people to know more about Charles and David Koch.

The event was Greenwald’s version of a ‘guerilla drive-in,’ when movies are shown at locations where there isn’t a theater, often publicized through social media (I first told you about it last week)....
The event featured performances by various musicians and a talk by Rev. Billy of the Church of Earthalujah and a few short films by Greenwald on the Kochs. According to blogging attendee Jaime Marcelo:
Overall the event seemed to be a success, aside from the obvious downside of an arrest. A few hundred people showed up and the energy was uplifting and energizing. It was creative and seemed to get people’s attention – I overheard more than a few conversations occurring with pedestrians asking “what’s going on?”. and it’s great that more awareness can be brought to the misdeeds of the Koch Brothers.
This isn't the first time the Kochs have been pranked. Last year, according to the UK Guardian's Environment Blog,
...a hoax press release was sent to journalists, including myself, headed: "Koch Industries Announces New Environmental Commitments". If true, it would have been an extraordinary u-turn because Koch has developed what some would describe as a notorious reputation in recent years for funding rightwing US thinktanks and Tea Party groups opposed to regulation aimed at addressing environmental concerns such as climate change.
The thin-skinned Kochs actually sued the pranksters. Last week, a Utah judge dismissed the case.