There is no shortage of disenfranchised victims worldwide, who for generations endure hardships perpetrated by the forces of racism and colonialism. The residents of Bhopal, India are another case in point. Twenty years ago, the explosion of a chemical plant in Bhopal owned by Union Carbide (now a subsidiary of Dow Chemical) exploded, resulting in a toxic leak that killed thousands and left many more ill for life. Rising to their defense in a way radically different from B’Tselem’s approach, the activist duo The Yes Men took advantage not only of the camera, but of the media industry as a broadcast tool. Members of this group practice what they call "identity correction", posing as spokespersons for prominent corporations and governing bodies. They create and maintain fake websites similar to the ones they want to spoof, and accept invitations received via their websites to appear at conferences, symposia, and on TV shows. In 2004, they impersonated a representative of Dow Chemical on BBC news and said the company was finally accepting full responsibility for its chemical plant explosion, compensating its victims financially, and cleaning up the town. This action had a morally debatable effect: it immediately brought down Dow Chemical’s stock value, but it also gave hope to the thousands of victims who had gathered for the disaster’s 20-year commemorative vigil, only to dash it quickly thereafter.
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