INDIVIDUAL: IS Special Agent Jessica Witcher
GROUP SIZE: 1000
NATURE OF GROUP: Oragami Cranes
INCIDENCE OF SOCIOMETRY: Carpet Cranes

Incensed by the Iraq War and burning to make creative pro-peace statement for the second anniversary of the invasion Jessica Witcher contacted her old college buddy Jared Jacang Meyer. As a recently indoctrinated is agent and author of The Home Team < see Fantasy Football Parking Lot Report > he knew just the consulting group to bring on board.

After receiving her IS Special Agent credentials, Agent Witcher began strategizing with her local IS office. Settling on 1000 origami cranes as a universally recognized symbol of peace, a handful of IS Agents and recent University of Colorado graduates began feverishly folding cranes. IS began casing locations with high pedestrian traffic and planning strategy.

On March 16th 2005 at 10:55:17 AM CST hundreds of Denver residents received the following email:

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Subject: Origami Crane Flash Mob

******/////// FORWARD WIDELY ///////******

Citizen!

Set your watch to: http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Mountain/d/-7/java

We are soliciting YOUR help in assembling a flock of 1000 origami cranes in flash-mob style! The Origami Crane is an international symbol of peace. Instructions for folding one are at: http://www.sadako.com/howtofold.html

This Saturday evening, March 19th, from 5:25 to 5:30 pm: appear with an Origami Crane in your outstretched palm on the sidewalk in front of the Chili's Restaurant entrance on the NW corner of 16th St. Mall and Champa in Downtown Denver. If you can not fold a crane please come with an outstretched palm and one will be provided.

The collected cranes from this action will be submitted, with photos, to the Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima Japan.
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Not foolish enough to rely on the public, IS contacted the crane folding crew with the following simultaneous email:---

Subject: Calling All Cranes... Calling All Cranes...

******/////// DO NOT FORWARD : EYES ONLY ///////******

Set your watch to: http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Mountain/d/-7/java

OVERVIEW:

A 1000 strong flock of Origami Cranes will be released from level 5 of the parking garage on the NW corner 16th St Mall and Champa this Saturday March 19th at 5:30 pm sharp. (See Attachment 1)

A second email (Subject: Oragami Crane Flash Mob) has been sent to you, with none of these details, attempting to entice members of the general public to assemble in the landing zone. You will be asked to forward this email widely.

We will be submitting the 1000 cranes, with collected documentation of the event, to the Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima, Japan.

MATERIALS:

Place your cranes in nondescript shopping bags and, if necessary, conceal them with a piece of tissue paper or light retail item.

LOGISTICS:

NOTE: Presence of law enforcement or security in the immediate vicinity automatically moves all times back 15 minutes.

5:25 enter the 16th St. garage pedestrian entrance immediately west of the Chilis' restaurant patio. (See Attachment 2)

5:27 At level P5 turn right and face the 16th street mall adjacent to the elevator.

5:30 Release the cranes and quickly exit the garage.

A small group of agents entered the 16th street garage with bulging my non-descript shopping bags. Exiting on P5 and walking into the empty structure this agent was alarmed to see an inhabited car parked adjacent to the launch zone. The garage had been consistently deserted at 5:30 over the course of several trial visits. As we approached, an unassuming woman exited her vehicle, popped the trunk and began lifting bags-o-cranes from its recess. As we assembled to look out over the landing zone the stairwell door flew open releasing a ten minute parade of unexpected and uninvited grade-school kids all bearing double handfuls of cranes.

Several minutes past schedule, well over 1000 cranes were given flight onto the surprised but expectant crowd that had gathered in response to the Oragami Flash Mob email.

< Pictures by (is agent) Rhy Jouett (more) and Ray Chen (more) >

Not content to let the crew in the garage have all the fun (or to litter on such a massive scale) the following third email was sent to a secret detachment of IS agents.

Subject: Origami Crane Rapid Response Clean Up Detail

***********//////////// DO NOT FORWARD : EYES ONLY ////////////***********

Set your watch to: http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Mountain/d/-7/java

OVERVIEW:

A 1000 strong flock of Origami Cranes flock will be released from level 5 of the parking garage on the NW corner 16th St Mall and Champa this Saturday March 19th at 5:30 pm sharp. (See Attachment 1)

You will be part of a professionally attired rapid response clean-up detail that will remove the cranes after emerging from the alley entrance across the street. (See Attachment 2)