January 15th: Global Day of Protest to Defend WikiLeaks, Free Speech
The online protest group “Anonymous” has announced that Saturday, January 15th will be a day of global protest to defend WikiLeaks and free speech. In one of their videos they say, “Stand up and fight. Every city, everywhere.”
Here is the group’s website.
I know that WikiLeaks — and the cyber attacks carried out by groups like “Anonymous” — are controversial. Imperfect. But they’re the inevitable reaction against decades of corporate/government secrecy and unaccountability.
And what kind of person wants to crack down on WikiLeaks — and similar organizations — and prosecute Julian Assange? The kind of person who secretly arranges for two asylum-seekers to be rendered to Egypt to be tortured. That kind.
Labels: “Anonymous”, asylum seekers rendered Egypt, January 15 global protest, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks
posted by Tom Harper @ 12:17 AM
10 Comments:
Since the demonstration is all about free speech and stuff, I bet the teabaggers show up. Maybe they'll even bring their favorite Glock or M16.
I bet Rush, Sean and Hannity are swapping Tweets about what to wear and wondering if Ann, Michelle and Sarah are going to attend.
"Kill teh messenger".
True as it ever was.
Can't I sit down and fight? These chairs are wheeled and I can run over the feet of anti-leakers.
Nope I bet we don't here a peep or a tweet or a twat from the teabaggers.
Anon it will be muzzle the messenger. Bet we don't hear anything from MSM about this.
Wheel chairs? Send in the drones. Aren't those F-35s ready yet?
"As a parallel development, the Obama administration has used the disclosures as rationale for a wide-ranging crackdown not simply against WikiLeaks but against anyone in government or the media, particularly the web-based, who might disclose secrets that the government regards as threatening national security."
I'm shocked — shocked! Whoever heard of such a thing?
Why, the nerve of some people, putting national security ahead of letting Entertainment Tonight publicize some ambassadors' dirty linen. What's the harm in letting efforts to ferret out a terrorist pied piper that fell through become fodder for Jay Leno's opening monologue?
Clearly, national security is better served by making the CIA one big public-information operation and making military plans and operations freely available on the Web. Who's to say some general knows any better what should be public knowledge than any sergeant?
MRM: Nah, free speech is only for liberals :)
Anonymous: Some things never change.
Randal: Run 'em down; or wheel 'em down.
Demeur: Raw Story was the only news site I found that even mentioned this.
SW: LOL. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I agree there's "collateral damage" with these leaks, and I'd probably be less philosophical if my own bank account got hacked.
But the political/economic situation has been a pressure cooker for a long time, and some steam has to escape before there's a huge explosion. For all its problems, I still think of WikiLeaks and related cyber warfare as a system of checks and balances. What we used to call "checks and balances" has been hijacked and corrupted by the oligarchy, and something had to take its place.
Wiki Leaks should release it's corporate stuff first, they would be a hero
Erik
Before little things like the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War, SW, you might have had a point. As things stand now, I don't think you do.
As long as these people are trying to hide their crimes and incompetence by labeling everything they can think of as "secret," it will continue to be necessary to expose them at every turn.
I commend Anonymous's work in support of Wikileaks.
On the other hand, that organization, or at least a large number of it's adhrents, is also responsible for a number of reprehensible abuses of that very free speech and anonymity that the internet makes possible.
Erik: I think WikiLeaks' next plan is to release a bunch of data from Swiss banks, which should be a little awkward for some American tax evaders. Should be interesting.
JR: True, 9/11 and Iraqmire (among other things) have made these leaks more important than ever.
Thomas: Leaks and cyber attacks are a double-edged sword, no question about that.
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