Germany: ‘Game’ to Destroy CCTV Cameras

February 6th, 2013

Hide your face but then upload video of your crimes to a website? *chortle*

I’d be astonished if this wasn’t a counterintelligence operation.

As I was reading the piece, I was wondering if there were any upcoming protests in Berlin, because this activity would be a good way to come up with a list of people to arrest beforehand.

If you read through to the end of the article, you’ll find this:

The winner of the game does not get a trophy or a year’s supply of spray paint. The competition ends on 19 February, to coincide with the start of the European Police Congress. The prize, says Camover, is to be in the frontline of a protest that will take place three days earlier, on 16 February. The location has yet to be confirmed, but Camover advises anyone who turns up to “crouch to avoid the flying cameras”.

Via: Guardian:

As a youth in a ski mask marches down a Berlin U-Bahn train, dressed head-to-toe in black, commuters may feel their only protection is the ceiling-mounted CCTV camera nearby. But he is not interested in stealing wallets or iPhones – he is after the camera itself. This is Camover, a new game being played across Berlin, which sees participants trashing cameras in protest against the rise in close-circuit television across Germany.

The game is real-life Grand Theft Auto for those tired of being watched by the authorities in Berlin; points are awarded for the number of cameras destroyed and bonus scores are given for particularly imaginative modes of destruction. Axes, ropes and pitchforks are all encouraged.

The rules of Camover are simple: mobilise a crew and think of a name that starts with “command”, “brigade” or “cell”, followed by the moniker of a historical figure (Van der Lubbe, a Dutch bricklayer convicted of setting fire to the Reichstag in 1933, is one name being used). Then destroy as many CCTV cameras as you can. Concealing your identity, while not essential, is recommended. Finally, video your trail of destruction and post it on the game’s website – although even keeping track of the homepage can be a challenge in itself, as it is continually being shut down.

Research Credit: TB

One Response to “Germany: ‘Game’ to Destroy CCTV Cameras”

  1. RBNZ says:

    Most activists in Germany are insanely security conscious. Unlikely to be co-intel as it too original an idea!

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