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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Paul Lewis

The Guardian on BlackBerry Messenger

Enfield riots
Police cordon off an area during unrest in Enfield, north London. Photograph: Karel Prinsloo/AP

In order to report more effectively the disturbances around London, I have been sourcing Blackberry Messenger broadcasts, which have been useful in providing real-time updates and predictions about future incidents.

As the Guardian has been reporting, it's clear that much of the unrest is being organised using BBM, which is a PIN-protected instant message system that is only accessible if you use a BlackBerry.

We have been cautious not to publish "live" messages that appear to anticipate violence, but we have published a number of historical messages, to show how events have developed.

This one encouraged looting in Enfield, and another encouraged people to congregate in Oxford Circus.

Both related to events that went on to occur on Sunday night, and
give you an insight into how those involved in the disturbances are communicating.

We're grateful for any BBM messages you can send us. You can message me in confidence. My BBM name is 'Paul'. My PIN number is 22416EC1.

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