Pure guesswork, but I'd have thought there would be ways of getting reasonably close numbers combining aerial shots with the rate of flow past certain points (along with other bits and pieces about numbers joining marches half way through etc.). In fact, I'd guess those realistic estimates would be needed by police both on the day and when it comes to policing future demos.
Yep. I've just posted similar. I have no doubt that there are ways of obtaining reliable estimates of crowds on marches.
I disagree. I've seen 60,000 people at the Emirates but I think 60,000 people walking along one street looks really rather different. I know the capacity of trafalgar Square is about 25,000 but again how many Whitehalls is that? Did you stand and watch the whole thing go by?
In fact, still guessing, I'd imagine there's cheap software available that could work out the numbers in static overhead shots, along with live predictions of total numbers (or at least 'by 2 pm there are likely to be X people in location Y').
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Looks like another gaza one has overtaken it now.
There are of course ways of obtaining an accurate figure and quite possibly the police use them for their own purposes. But those might not be immediately available and the police estimates given are often for political purposes anyway
Last week, I reached the end then walked the length of it going back. This week that wasn't possible due to the sheer weight of numbers. Having walked back past shit loads of people, I stood watching shit loads more people streaming through Piccadilly Circus for about 40 minutes.
So seeing as hamas have been providing a range of services over the past number of years - as councils do here - basically everything in gaza is for the zionists a legitimate target
Let's go 424,000 as a happy estimate then
There is that of course. But also Hamas fighters don't wear 'I'm with Hamas' T-shirts. Basically any young man who is killed is going to get labelled Hamas retrospectively.
Good point well made
Just about to post exactly that! After their execution leaflets dropped from the air today.
My rule of thumb used to be to split the difference between the estimates of the police and of the Socialist Workers Party.
Yes, that was the attitude of the IDF in previous operations against the Gaza Strip. The local rubbish collection service offices would be a target.
The State of Israel learned this from Uncle Sam's example in Vietnam.
If you’ve ever been to a gig you’d know you can fit four people in a square meter.
They're shitting themselves over how many Israeli conscripts will be slaughtered? (I also feel sorry for them caught up in this shit.)
You can get more if you're not too fussed about them breathing but moving along in a slow shuffle carrying stuff and waving flags is a different matter. Police and especially TfL estimates are usually accurate(ish) because they need to know how to respond be it getting emergency vehicles through, busting heads should the need arise or even laying on extra tube trains and buses afterwards.If you’ve ever been to a gig you’d know you can fit four people in a square meter.
Watching CNN last night afterwards the 2 American hostages were released, they had some guy on pontificating that the real reason Hamas had left them go was to give the IDF pause for thought in case Hamas decided to let more go and the IDF might wait to see if they do.
