Today's Quiz

For today's quiz, your assignment is to write a short essay explaining what's going on in this picture:




"It's a protest," you say. "But I need to know more."

Fair enough. The picture was taken yesterday (Thursday) in Budapest.

"Aha!" you say, "The President was there. This is a street protest, organized by Amnesty International, against Gitmo or "torture" or something like that, right?"

Oddly, you're getting both warmer and colder, so let's provide some more help. It's an Associated Press photo, and that independent, unbiased seeker of truth provided the following context:

Activists of human rights organization Amnesty International dressed up as Guantanamo detainees protest against the United States' foreign policy in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday, June 22, 2006 during the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush. Bush, on a visit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hungary's bloody revolt against communist rule in this central Europe nation, was urged on Thursday to make sure the U.S. fight against terrorism doesn't stomp on human rights.

"So," you say, "I was right. It's a public demonstration. A street protest. The People making their voices heard, and doing so in powerful contrast to the brutal Soviet crushing of the 1956 Hungarian revolt against the murderers in the Kremlin."

Sort of (although the run-on rhetoric is not necessary). Here's what the Associated Press isn't telling you:

NOBODY ELSE SHOWED UP
Yes, that's what we said: Seven stooges from Amnesty International (you know, the folks who can never quite decide whether Bob Mugabe or George Bush has a better human rights record?) tried to stage a protest, but not one single additional person joined in. You might have noticed that the AP photo was rather a narrow angle, producing a frame into which only three people have been fit.

More HERE (scroll down a bit) and HERE and HERE.