He was the online organizer who urged Londoners to grab their brooms and take to the streets after the August 2011 riots that saw stores looted and cars torched in the capital's worst unrest in decades.

Now activist Dan Thompson is among 17 people who were handed free tickets for Friday's Olympic opening ceremony by British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Thompson used social networks to mobilize volunteers to sweep up debris in communities across London after nights of violent disorder.

Cameron has also offered tickets to youth workers and graduates of Britain's National Citizen Service, a program which sees young people carry out community work.

—David Stringer - Twitter http://twitter.com/david_stringer

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