Firdus Square
In the case of the
'definitive moment' of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Firdus
Square, what was broadcast live around the globe and could not
have been further from the truth. The image presented both on television
and the press was of an enormous crowd who had gathered to tear down
Saddam Hussein's monument to himself. Only later analysis of photos
which were not broadcast or printed can a true picture be seen.

 |
Images
published seem to show that a huge crowd gathered to remove the
statue of
Saddam Hussein. This photograph from the BBC News website (left)
was tightly cropped to eliminate all the areas in the foreground
and
to
the
right where there were people were thin on the ground - suggesting
a greater density of people. Those
who study
crowds
generally have
a better idea of the size of a crowd from its density - especially
when the crowd has a focus such as the statue of Saddam Hussein. |
|
|
9th
April 2003
A wide aerial view of the crowd toppling the statue of Saddam Hussein in Furdus
Square. Click image for a larger photograph. |
9th
April 2005
A similar view of an Iraqi demonstration in Firdus Square against the US led
occupation. |
| Analysis
of this event was widely distributed across the internet but the
source site was closed shortly afterwards. Click the thumbnail
(right) to see the original annotated image which suggests that
even the protestors who were present were not what they were portrayed
to be. |
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