German website offers rent-a-protester service

[mawilson 2,133]

You know how it is: you feel very strongly that the government really ought to address

the issue of rampant unemployment among immigrant Romanian single mothers in the

Frankfurt sausage-making industry, but can't actually be bothered to get up off the sofa

and hit the streets in protest. Fear not, for help is at hand in the shape of Erento.com,

where agitators are renting out their services to worthy causes.

For example, as the BBC explains, "next to a black and white posed picture, Melanie

lists her details from her jeans size to her shoe size and tells potential protest organisers

that she is willing to be deployed up to 100km around Berlin". Six hours of Melanie

giving forth will set you back €145.

An Erento.com spokesman was "unable to say how many demonstrators had been booked

since the service was launched earlier this month, but that there had certainly been demand".

Indeed, German media has reported that a Munich march "hired protesters because its

own adherents were too old to stand for hours waving banners".

If you're wondering whether these rent-a-protestors will accept cash for any old cause,

think again. Erento.com "stresses that no protester needs to offer their services to a cause

they object to, and therefore many may genuinely believe in the protest they are joining".

This cuts little ice with some German commentators. The Beeb notes that one recently

wrote: "It seems to confirm the increasingly common assumption that democracy is for sale."

Source

[almaty 19]

#######?? just wrong...maybe, the cause has no energy or public interst...

[almaty 19]

hmmm., i wonder how mucjh it pays..?

Edited February 1, 2007 by almaty

[Anna C. 4]

Creative business!

[Mags 112]

So, you feel strongly about your cause...but not THAT strongly, not strong enough that you'd actually want to stand in the cold and rain whilst holding a banner. No, instead pay someone to do it for you.

Hypocritical anyone?

[DeadPoolX 9]

That's ridiculous. If you really feel strongly about a cause, you put forward the effort yourself -- you don't hire a surrogate to stand in place for you!

[Stefanie 1]

hmmm., i wonder how mucjh it pays..?

They are making 150 Euros a day! I watched a TV show last night where they were talking about this.

[DelcoCouple 1]

So, you feel strongly about your cause...but not THAT strongly, not strong enough that you'd actually want to stand in the cold and rain whilst holding a banner. No, instead pay someone to do it for you.

Hypocritical anyone?

No more hypocritical than an industry hiring a lobbyist to present their case rather than presenting the case themselves Or perhaps when someone goes to court they could dispense with a lawyer if they believe in their own case strongly enough.

[Ban Hammer 13,342]

So, you feel strongly about your cause...but not THAT strongly, not strong enough that you'd actually want to stand in the cold and rain whilst holding a banner. No, instead pay someone to do it for you.

Hypocritical anyone?

No more hypocritical than an industry hiring a lobbyist to present their case rather than presenting the case themselves Or perhaps when someone goes to court they could dispense with a lawyer if they believe in their own case strongly enough.

industry hires a lobbyist due to that person's ability to glad hand/strong arm/coax everyone into what the industry wants.

people hire a lawyer because of that person's track record, professional credentials, and perceived ability to win their case.

these guys just hold a sign in the rain. yup, i see the similarity

[DelcoCouple 1]

So, you feel strongly about your cause...but not THAT strongly, not strong enough that you'd actually want to stand in the cold and rain whilst holding a banner. No, instead pay someone to do it for you.

Hypocritical anyone?

No more hypocritical than an industry hiring a lobbyist to present their case rather than presenting the case themselves Or perhaps when someone goes to court they could dispense with a lawyer if they believe in their own case strongly enough.

industry hires a lobbyist due to that person's ability to glad hand/strong arm/coax everyone into what the industry wants.

people hire a lawyer because of that person's track record, professional credentials, and perceived ability to win their case.

these guys just hold a sign in the rain. yup, i see the similarity

Why do you see rain everywhere when there is so much sunshine in the world?

[Ban Hammer 13,342]

So, you feel strongly about your cause...but not THAT strongly, not strong enough that you'd actually want to stand in the cold and rain whilst holding a banner. No, instead pay someone to do it for you.

Hypocritical anyone?

No more hypocritical than an industry hiring a lobbyist to present their case rather than presenting the case themselves Or perhaps when someone goes to court they could dispense with a lawyer if they believe in their own case strongly enough.

industry hires a lobbyist due to that person's ability to glad hand/strong arm/coax everyone into what the industry wants.

people hire a lawyer because of that person's track record, professional credentials, and perceived ability to win their case.

these guys just hold a sign in the rain. yup, i see the similarity

Why do you see rain everywhere when there is so much sunshine in the world?

it's in germany. what do you think it does there? perpetual sunshine?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Creative business!

Not really--all they did was web an existing idea.

Rent-a-protestors are quite well-known in India (which not surprisingly, has the largest numbers--surprisingly, India's FOURTH largest city Kolkata outranks the first three in this regard).