March 21, 2004
The «night of the short text messages»
"New technologies like e-mail and short text messages (SMS) radically changed the way to mobilize people," says Lorenzo Mosca, a researcher from the University of Florence on civil society's use of new technologies, in an article published in Antiwar.com, detailing exactly how text messaging played a role in overturning the Spanish government, following the terrorist bombings in Madrid.
Spain
Text messaging has become a crucial tool in rallying people. In Spain last week protests were organized within hours through use of SMS.
"The messages demanded "the truth now" (verdad ya) and "no more manipulation" (manipulacion basta ya). Another said "your war, our dead" (vuestra guerra nuestros muertos). All of them ended with a simple request: "forward it" (pásalo).
This was one of the messages that started what has been called the "night of the short text messages" in Madrid.
Thousands of people gathered in front of PP headquarters in several Spanish cities denouncing lack of transparency in the investigation into bombing of the trains March 11, in which more than 200 people died and over 1,400 were wounded. In Madrid the spontaneous mobilizations fed by SMS messages went on for 11 hours.
That evening there was a 20 percent growth in SMS messages. The following day, which was election day, there were 40 percent more messages than on an average day, according to communications firms. It was the day that brought a historical upset.
Telefónica Móviles, the Spanish phone company that processes 25 million text messages every day reported a "change in typology" of the messages sent: most were related to attacks and the investigation.
"Mainstream media failed its mission. By SMS people could know what was really taking place on the streets. They could have more information through alternative media websites," Laura Cuecueria, a media activist from Madrid told IPS by (mobile) phone".
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