CorpComms Magazine

Supporters of beleaguered oil giant BP have set up a Facebook group to provide 'a forum for focussing support for an undeservedly harassed institution'.

But with just over 1,400 fans, the social networking site pales in comparison against the 'Boycott BP' Facebook group which has more than 665,000 members.

More than two thirds of the posts on the Facebook site are written by American supporters, such as David Pickett from Tampa in Florida who wrote: 'The people that are crying for the dismantle [sic] of BP are the same hipsters driving this country's SUVs. Your disgusting gluttony indirectly caused this disaster.'

Will Mellon from Toledo posted: 'I am environmentally conscious of the potential harm of industrial pursuits and am not necessarily supportive of such endeavours, but, philosophically to burn BP at the stake is ignorant.'

Some members of the group even support Tony Hayward, the embattled chief executive of BP, who came in for more criticism at the weekend for spending the time sailing with his family.

Admittedly, many of the supportive posts are undermined by later comments that counter their points, including several from 'Boycott BP'.

There is even some humour on the site. Murray Moondog from Tijuana in Mexico offers unusual support for the oil company. 'I went and got five gallons of petrol and put it in my local lake,' he wrote. 'I support BP.'

Luis Enrique Arriaga has his own unique theory about the disaster. 'I think maybe Pemex [the Mexican oil company] is behind this somehow.'

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