Belgium authorities ask for Internet silence on police ops; Twitterverse responds with cat memes
Concerned that social media messages could alert suspects in Brussels, where police have been conducting sweeps for possible terrorists linked to recent Paris attacks, authorities in Belgium asked the country’s citizens and news media to refrain from tweets and Internet posts about raids.
Over the weekend, defense minister Steven Vandeput wrote: “Police are asking the public not to report their movements on social media, please support & rt #BrusselsLockdown.” Similarly, federal police sent a message in French asked for “radio silence” on #bruxelles.
The result was a flood of cat memes on #BrusselsLockdown and related hashtags. A cat wearing a Darth Vader helmet, two spacesuit-clad figures riding airborne marmalade “hovercats” and a kitty intently perusing a book on The Art of Military Strategy are among the many tweets that captured public attention in lieu of real-time info about what authorities have actually been doing during the raids.
BREAKING NEWS : Belgium Police using the new 200mph Hovercat during terrorist operations #BrusselsLockdown pic.twitter.com/1LPrye29fJ
— Jayce le Satirique (@jaycelight) November 22, 2015Federal police also got into the spirit of the cat-image frenzy, posting an image of a bowl of kitty kibble, along with an invitation for felines to help themselves, according to the Associated Press, news.com.au, CNN, NPR and the New York Times (reg. req.).
While many of the images are whimsical, others show armed felines, a small domestic cat gazing at an apparent cougar outside an entry door and a striped tortoiseshell kitten seeing a tiger in its reflection in a spilled pool of liquid.
More raids are expected Tuesday, when residents of Brussels have again been asked to stay at home.
Pour les chats qui nous ont aidé hier soir… Servez-vous! #BrusselsLockdown pic.twitter.com/7O5ENF6nXa
— Police Fédérale (@PolFed_presse) November 23, 2015Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “BigLaw associate is among those killed in Paris attacks”
Telegraph: “Brussels faces a fourth day of fear and frustration as lockdown in city continues”
WGN: “21 terror suspects detained in latest raids in Belgium”
