When politics reach Second Life, it ain’t pretty

So, what happens when a few months from this year’s French presidential election, a “far-right, nationalist, anti-Establishment” French political party sets up their headquarters in the world of Second Life? Simple. Avatars protest, virtual guns are fired and pigs literally start flying.

That’s exactly what’s been happening over at SL‘s Porcupine Island when the French party Front National settled in. As reported by NWN, Front National’s virtual HQ was almost immediately surrounded by protesters on the first day. The SL avatars carried placards and wore t-shirts which expressed their desire to kick the presence of FN out of the MMORPG.

However, things started really heating up when it was reported (though still unconfirmed) that one of the bodyguards of the FN offices used a weapon on one of the SL citizens. This, of course, prompted a similar response from the residents who have since then peppered the virtual headquarters with bullets, shrapnel, and the occasional “pig grenades” which was invented by one of the residents. Because of so many people converging in one place, plus the amount of activity happening all at once, this “war” has recently caused bouts of really bad lags for everyone.

As of January 15, the FN offices have disappeared from the map of SL, and has been replaced by a small casino. Also, in commemoration of the event, a sun bearing the image of Martin Luther King Jr. has been created to cross the SL grid. However, when asked about what they thought of the protesters, FN Officer Wolfram Hayek is quoted to say that they will just “tighten security and come back”.

So, what happens when a few months from this year’s French presidential election, a “far-right, nationalist, anti-Establishment” French political party sets up their headquarters in the world of Second Life? Simple. Avatars protest, virtual guns are fired and pigs literally start flying.

That’s exactly what’s been happening over at SL‘s Porcupine Island when the French party Front National settled in. As reported by NWN, Front National’s virtual HQ was almost immediately surrounded by protesters on the first day. The SL avatars carried placards and wore t-shirts which expressed their desire to kick the presence of FN out of the MMORPG.

However, things started really heating up when it was reported (though still unconfirmed) that one of the bodyguards of the FN offices used a weapon on one of the SL citizens. This, of course, prompted a similar response from the residents who have since then peppered the virtual headquarters with bullets, shrapnel, and the occasional “pig grenades” which was invented by one of the residents. Because of so many people converging in one place, plus the amount of activity happening all at once, this “war” has recently caused bouts of really bad lags for everyone.

As of January 15, the FN offices have disappeared from the map of SL, and has been replaced by a small casino. Also, in commemoration of the event, a sun bearing the image of Martin Luther King Jr. has been created to cross the SL grid. However, when asked about what they thought of the protesters, FN Officer Wolfram Hayek is quoted to say that they will just “tighten security and come back”.