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Million Mask March Takes Place Across The World
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Million Mask March Takes Place Across The World

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anonymous mask
Image source: www.shoutoutuk.org

Thousands of Anonymous activists joined anti-establishment protests around the world as part of the Million Mask March, which took place on 5th November.

The demonstrations were described as the ‘largest global protest in world history.’ Many issues drove the marches, including human rights violations, austerity, and corrupt politicians.

Emphasis was also placed on mass surveillance, in the week that Home Secretary Theresa May announced a reincarnated Investigatory Powers Bill; commonly known as the Snoopers’ Charter.

Rallies were organised in approximately 650 cities, including Washington DC, New York City and London.

A statement published to the London march’s Facebook page declared: “We have seen the abuses and malpractice of this government, and governments before it, we have seen the encroaching destruction of many civil liberties we hold dear, we have seen the pushes to make the internet yet another part of the surveillance state… The government and the 1% have played their hand, now it is time to play ours.”

Drawing an attendance of over 3,500, the London edition began around 6pm in Trafalgar Square. It spread into Parliament Square and Whitehall before winding down shortly before 11pm.

Although predominantly a peaceful protest, pockets of violence saw a police car set alight and approximately 50 arrests, including two for assaulting a police officer. The Met Police had earlier issued a press release that laid out the requirements of ‘static assembly’ under the Public Order Act.

In a statement made after the march, Commander BJ Harrington praised activists who adhered to the Million Mask March’s self description of a ‘friendly gathering of minds.’

“I’d like to thank those who conducted themselves in a peaceful manner and as well as Londoners for their patience and tolerance,” Harrington said.

Notably, major media outlets like Sky News gave minimal airtime to the march until news broke of the small outbursts, and then made the violence the main angle of their coverage. Unlike the BBC, however, Sky News was quick to clarify that the demonstrators had been largely peaceful.

The Million Mask March has taken place annually since 2012 and is organised by Anonymous, the international network of hacktivists that rose to prominence following their 2008 protests against the Church of Scientology.

Their most recent project involved revealing the alleged identities of Kl Klux Klan members in the US.

The group is made up of loosely affiliated members, known as ‘Anons,’ and has what is described as a ‘very loose and decentralized command structure.’ In other words, Anonymous has no defined leadership, and relies on voluntary association to conduct itself.

The march coincides with the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot that inspires the Guy Fawkes mask, worn by Anons as a symbol of their anti-establishment philosophy.

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Liam Soutar
Starving writer, which is hard to believe considering my BMI.

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