That whole scenario of 50,000 Euros uniformly booing giant photographs of Bush and Blair at the behest of a rock band reminds me of Orwell's "Two Minutes Hate" scene in "1984"... anyone else remember that passage?
"As usual, the face of Emmanuel Goldstein (Bush/Blair), the Enemy of the People, had flashed on to the screen. There were hisses here and there among the audience...
Before the Hate had proceeded for thirty seconds, uncontrollable exclamations of rage were breaking out from half the people in the room...
But what was strange was that although Goldstein was hated and despised by everybody, although every day and a thousand times a day, on platforms, on the telescreen, in newspapers, in books, his theories were refuted, smashed, ridiculed, held up to the general gaze for the pitiful rubbish that they were in spite of all this, his influence never seemed to grow less. Always there were fresh dupes waiting to be seduced by him...
The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but, on the contrary, that it was impossible to avoid joining in. Within thirty seconds any pretence was always unnecessary..."
I always find it interesting how people act in large, anonymous crowds.