The web comments on clashes between drugs traffickers and police in Rio

RIO: WAR ON DRUG TRAFFICKERS

Tanks in the streets and fearful residents. Rio de Janeiro resembles a battle field. A raid was launched there on Sunday in the northern shanty towns, where drugs traffickers have taken up position and have been spreading panic for a week. An operation monitored closely by the country’s net users.

Blogger Ricardo Gama went to the area surrounding the Alemao complex, the drug traffickers’ stronghold, while it was besieged by police and the army. In this video, filmed on his mobile phone and immediately broadcast online, he describes the considerable force deployed by police to regain control of the district.

On Twitter too, the clashes were the subject of many Brazilian users’ posts. Net users’ eye witness accounts, along with a wealth of rumours, have flooded into the micro blogging platform since the start of the violence, one week ago.

Burnt out buses, multiple hold-ups and shots fired at police stations. This interactive map lists all the drug traffickers’ attacks in recent days; as well as operations led in retaliation by police.

A wave of terror which seemingly began in retaliation to a shanty town pacification scheme. A local police force was set up in 2007 to flush out traffickers. A policy now showing its shortcomings according to this blogger, who would prefer to see a social scheme in these districts to efficiently fight crime.

CHINA: THE RABBIT KILLING GIRLS

These young, attractive Chinese girls look like they are having fun. Their toys are small rabbits. But the rules of their game are cruel- the aim being to crush the rodents in any way possible. Sitting on them or forcing the heel of their court shoes into their stomachs. The video has been around the net, enraging net users.

As if the death of these animals were not enough, the young women film themselves and post the videos online. These so-called ‘crush films’ aim to satisfy voyeuristic or sexual fetishes. As explained by this net user, these images are apparently then put on DVDs before being sold abroad.

The post’s author recounts how a net user tried to find out more about these practices by infiltrating one of the groups. For six months, he apparently tried to win their trust. He has published these screen shots exchanged between members, but also tens of other intercepted images, all as terrible as each other.

This blogger lambasts the excuses that one of the young girls in the video, already viewed by five million net users, wrote on her blog. According to him, her request for forgiveness is only aimed at diverting the blogosphere’s attention.

Remarks have been flooding into sites examining the subject. Some call on the police to tackle the case. While this net user explains that bringing the girls to justice would be difficult as there are no Chinese animal cruelty laws.

PATH: A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR TRUE FRIENDS

Stop collecting friends. This is the diktat of the new social network Path. Launched in the form of a free application for smart phones, Path offers a more intimate version of online networking. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, the circle of friends is voluntarily limited to fifty people. The network is furthermore based on photo sharing. And users can neither remark upon, like nor criticise a posted photo. Path is still only available in the US, but should soon be extended to Europe.

MARSEILLE, DIRTY CITY

Marseille is a city often criticised for its dirt. Faced with this criticism, two locals have decided to create a site to bring about a collective awareness raising to help change the situation. Merdeinmarseille.org collects photos sent in by net users to show to what point the city is suffering due to its lack of cleanliness. The site also reveals a city centre map showing viewers the filthiest neighbourhoods.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

A love story told thanks to a photocopier. This is the original idea hatched by the creators of Photocopy Romance, an animation created with 325 scanned images. A short film, which is part of a viral campaign run by a famous sunglasses brand.