Activism

Today’s #OpKKK List: Worth Reading?

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

There are no headline-grabbing names on the list of KKK members that the hacker collective Anonymous released this afternoon, unlike the names of mayors and senators that appeared on the disavowed publication that a rival, attention-seeking, unknown individual put out several days ago. And that is just fine.

What the group of hactivists published today is a list that its members compiled of several hundred individuals and their Facebook and/or Google+ accounts. Their public identities, if they have any. Thus, all of this information is public or as public as any of these individuals may have decided to make it; almost anyone could have compiled this list, but it is Anonymous who bothered.
Read More

#OpKKK: Anonymous vs. The Klan

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

(Updated at 4:00 p.m. to add information.)

Last night, various Twitter accounts said to be associated with Anonymous, the famous hacktivist collective, started to publish links to documents listing names of people it says are members of the Ku Klux Klan, including four U.S. senators. Further, it announced that it had shut down several KKK websites and servers.

Several minutes ago, the official Twitter account for the operation, @Operation_KKK, wrote, “This account has NOT YET released any information. We believe in due diligence and will NOT recklessly involve innocent individuals #OpKKK.” (Tweet image below the fold.)
Read More

Winner of the Sakharov Prize: Raif Badawi

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

Raif Badawi was named the winner of the 2015 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought this morning. Today is his 1253rd day spent in jail for being a writer. He is the first winner from Saudi Arabia.

The prize carries with it an award of €50,000 but no guarantees of personal safety; the 2011 winner, Razan Zaitouneh, a Syrian human rights lawyer, was kidnapped in 2013 and her whereabouts remain unknown. A high-placed source informed Ensaf Haidar, Raif’s wife, two days ago that an official go-ahead was delivered this week to resume caning him, possibly as soon as tomorrow. Saudi officials certainly knew that Raif Badawi was one of three finalists for this prestigious international award and they certainly are aware that he is this year’s laureate.
Read More