Anonymous - An Inside Perspective

Defining Anonymous is a difficult task for many reasons. What originally started out as a group of Activist Hackers (Hacktivists) on the imageboard 4chan, has grown over the last 10 years into a worldwide phenomenon which transcends the boundaries of faith, race or religion. Anonymous is now more a movement united by a common goal, than a clearly defined group of people. Anyone who believes in Anonymous and wants to be part of Anonymous - is Anonymous.

There is no centralised leadership to the movement and Anonymous members are free to organise protests and operations at their own discretion, relying on the shared ethos and ideas of the group to encourage participation in these events. As such, what follows is only my personal representation of what the Anonymous Movement, the Guy Fawkes Mask and the Million Mask March mean to me as an Anon, based on my own research and experiences with other members at Anonymous events.


The Anonymous Movement

The video below features a speech from the end of Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator". It was inspirational to me in my decision to become more politically active, join the Anonymous movement and ultimately states; what I feel about the state of the world, why I protest and why I believe that there IS another way.

Anonymous members are ordinary people, united by an idea and driven by the belief that things CAN be different. To me Anonymous is a movement united by one simple idea, that the world is fast becoming a place ruled by corporations, not by the people. Whether protesting against TTIP, Corporate Tax Evasion, or the Restriction of Free-Speech, all the Anons I have encountered seem to have the same basic understanding, regardless of what they choose to draw attention to. Anons the world over are tired of working for slave-wages while the companies they work for siphon money out of their country tax-free. They are tired of Energy Cartels holding them to ransom with expensive and unsustainable fossil-fuels and of wars where thousands of innocents are killed for the profit of an elite few. But most of all, they are tired of the inequality which the current system only serves to exaggerate and of political parties who put the profit of their donors above the needs of the people they are supposed to be serving.


The Guy Fawkes Mask

Why hide behind a mask if you've done nothing wrong? This is a question I hear all the time, and one that I could offer a few answers to. For me it serves three distinct functions:- as a "symbol of unity", as a "statement of purpose" and as a "tool of empowerment".

As a symbol of unity the mask provides a shared face and icon for the movement. It shows that no matter what race/age/gender we are, we are all the same. United by a common goal, purpose and opponents. As a statement of purpose it shows our ultimate aim, which is; To bring down the corrupt network of financial giants who control the mainstream political parties of the world, manipulate our media and manufacture conflicts the world over through these mediums for their own personal gain. As a tool of empowerment, it gives people a freedom of expression which they would not usually enjoy in everyday life. It helps people to speak loudly and proudly about the things which they are passionate about, people who wouldn't usually take the stage feel like they can finally be heard, and freedom of expression is almost always a good thing.

Yes, it IS an image popularised in "V for Vendetta" - a film for which Time Warner owns the copyright and thus the merchandise. But most Anonymous members are fully aware of this, and are usually advised to buy cheap copies from sources other than Time Warner. Some charitable groups have even started making copies of their own so that any profits are put to good use within communities that need the funds.


The Million Mask March

This event takes place on 5th November every year in cities all over the world. Protesters from many different organisations come together to mark Guy Fawkes Night - the anniversary of the day Guido Fawkes tried to blow-up the Houses of Parliament in the Gunpowder Plot.  This day has an anti-establishment significance and is used to let the establishment know that we are a growing movement that will not ante until justice is served. It is a day to galvanize public support, educate the masses about the wrongs of the system and to encourage them to join us.

Anonymous realize that they will not change the world over night. But as the movement continues to grow - as more and more people come to realise that the world can be different if they will it to be - one day the protesters' numbers will be too great to ignore, the oppressed people of the world will unite and the establishment will fall. No matter how many are silenced, beaten and imprisoned there will always be more to take their place. This is the strength of a leaderless movement, it cannot be beheaded, it cannot be crushed; because what they are driven by is an idea, not a person.


Fanfare for The Conscious


Related Articles

5th November 2014: Million Mask March - Manchester


Sources

Wikipedia - Anonymous (group)
Alan More - V for Vendetta (BBC "Viewpoint" Article)
The Guardian - Million Mask March 2014
UK Anonymous Events