back to article Hacktivists boast of English Defence League KO after website downed

Hacktivists linked to Anonymous have claimed responsibility for knocking shouty anti-Islam group the English Defence League's website offline. The EDL is a far-right street protest movement whose official stance is an objection to the "spread of Sharia law and Islamic extremism in the UK". Its numerous critics argue the league …

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  1. ukgnome

    Couldn't even defend a website

    I'm just wondering if intimidating computers can actual fix a website. Or do they have skilled IT workers?

    Surely I'm not the only one that is actually hoping that they use a 3rd party vendor that operates out of India.

  2. AMB-York Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Victory for freedom of speech!

    Oh, wait. Um..

    1. WraithCadmus
      Angel

      Re: Victory for freedom of speech!

      Given the dross that organisations like the BNP and EDL come out with maybe the best thing we can do is let them say whatever they like?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Hollow Victory

      The Daily Mail is still online.

  3. Anomalous Cowshed

    Football hooligans

    Speaking of football hooligans, I used to be mates with a self-admitted football hooligan. He was (is?) a hairdresser and used to support Tottenham.

    He told me how they used to pile into a van, him and some other colourful characters, I've forgotten their nicknames but I remember they were hilarious, along the lines of "Big Joe" and "Ned the <something>". Apparently one of them was really strong. They used to drive to the away games singing Tottenham songs and looking for trouble - nothing serious, just an opportunity to taunt the rival fans and get into small-scale fights.

    They sounded like a rough but fun and reckless bunch. Maybe they were not standard football hooligans. I don't think they were members of the EDL.

    1. NomNomNom

      Re: Football hooligans

      Sure you are not confusing things with The A-team?

  4. Khaptain Silver badge

    To quote Alanis Morissette

    Isn't it Ironic......

  5. Michael Hawkes
    Headmaster

    What a name

    With a name like English Defence League, I envisioned a plethora of pedantic people pushing proper spelling. Way more entertaining, pour moi, than a bunch of bigots.

    1. NomNomNom

      Re: What a name

      "pour moi"

      French on an EDL thread! Are you taking the f***** p*** mate?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: What a name

        Quote :

        "pour moi"

        French on an EDL thread! Are you taking the f***** p*** mate?

        Defense : http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=defense&allowed_in_frame=0

        League : http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=league&allowed_in_frame=0

        HTH. Taisez vous, bychan.

  6. TrishaD
    Joke

    I Love the EDL

    No, really ...

    EDL + Facebook = Hours of harmless amusement.

    One of their 'leadership' team recently posted something to this effect on their Facebook page:

    'Been on holiday on the South Coast. Then I saw this (photo attached). That's the biggest mosque I've ever seen. How are they able to get away with this?'

    The photo, of course, was of Brighton Pavilion ......

  7. Piro Silver badge

    Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

    .. Doesn't mean you should silence them.

    This is vaguely petty.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

      They have not been silenced, they have their voices still. They are not welcome online, that's all.

      1. gazthejourno (Written by Reg staff)

        Re: Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

        "They've not been silenced, we've just removed their ability to speak"

        ... *facepalm*

      2. Graham Marsden
        FAIL

        @AC - Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

        "They are not welcome online, that's all."

        Unlike all those nasty pornographic sites that the Government wants to block by default...?

      3. David Webb

        Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

        They have not been silenced, they have their voices still. They are not welcome online, that's all.

        Internet access is a basic human right (apparently) which means everyone (even people you dislike and disagree with) has a right to be online.

        It's funny though, on one hand you get Anon who will attack the websites of anyone who tries to stifle the discourse of information across the internet, and then attack websites of anyone who tries to post information on the internet.

        That's the thing with freedom, you can't pick and choose who should get the freedom based upon what you like or dislike. I may dislike the idea of Sharia law, I most certainly don't want to be under Sharia law but I have no desire to see websites which strongly (but legally) promote Sharia law. I may not agree with the EDL (I am after all a Celt, not one of those foreign invading Anglo-Saxon bastards) but that doesn't mean I want their rights to free and legal protest to be curtailed by people because they disagree with them.

        No one has the right to prevent people from using the internet in a legal and lawful way, not me, not government and especially not a bunch of anonymous script kiddies, after all, that's the kind of thing that a country like Iran or North Korea would do.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Meh

          Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

          "No one has the right to prevent people from using the internet in a legal and lawful way, not me, not government and especially not a bunch of anonymous script kiddies, after all, that's the kind of thing that a country like the United Kingdom will soon do."

          FTFY

    2. DrXym

      Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

      This is anonymous we're talking about. Pettiness, hypocrisy and post hoc ergo propter hoc reasoning explain virtually all of their attacks.

    3. `TSeng
      Megaphone

      Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

      What about when MOST people disagree with someone? :)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Down

        Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

        Regardless of the opinion of the majority they (in this case the EDL) should have the right to Freedom of Speech.

        To my mind a good summary is "The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law." .

        You have the right to say it regardless of the opinion of the majority.

      2. SkippyBing

        Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

        'What about when MOST people disagree with someone? '

        So you're saying they're a minority?

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

        "What about when MOST people disagree with someone? :)

        Copernicus, Darwin etc. Just because a point of view is popular doesn't mean it's right. Freedom of speech should apply in particular to minority and unpopular points of view. In this particular case because it's vastly entertaining to watch them shooting themselves in the foot with "Muslamic law" quotes and the like.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone.. @moiety 15:08

          moiety, there've been a couple of responses to the original post but I'll just grab yours, if you don't mind.

          "

          "What about when MOST people disagree with someone? :)"

          Copernicus, Darwin etc. Just because a point of view is popular doesn't mean it's right."

          I think perhaps that was the OP's point - the problem with herd mentality, conformity, whatever you want to call it. I don't think he was supporting the takedown, but rather questioning it. Could be wrong, I dunno.

          "Freedom of speech should apply in particular to minority and unpopular points of view."

          In particular? Are you implying give them more weight on that basis? I'd have to disagree. Bias.

          "In this particular case because it's vastly entertaining to watch them shooting themselves in the foot with "Muslamic law" quotes and the like."

          Which is where you fall in with the herd on the forum, sadly. Give them free speech so we can laugh at them? Really? Well, so much for debate; at least you can feel superior.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone.. @moiety 15:08

            I was responding to the AC who posted:

            "They have not been silenced, they have their voices still. They are not welcome online, that's all."

            ...but clearly I am a slow typer. Should have changed the title in retrospect.

            I don't believe that you should give minority and unpopular points points of view more weight, no. More that minority and unpopular points points of view are the reason we need free speech. If we all thought the same things, then we probably wouldn't need freedom of speech.

            It *IS* entertaining to watch the EDL in action. Everybody should get free speech because they're human. But if they choose to use that freedom to make themselves look like muppets then I will not object.

    4. Velv
      Thumb Up

      Re: Yeah, just because you disagree with someone..

      Nope, not in the "vaguely petty" category, but not for the reason you might think.

      If the core hacktivists are from Pakistan as indicated (and are probably therefore Muslim) then silencing the EDL actually strengthens the EDL case of a perceived threat since the silencing is implementing Sharia law by removing the blasphemy.

      Censorship is CENSORSHIP. Doesn't matter if it's state, religious or any other reason.

      The EDL may be scum (opinion), so let's not give them excuses.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why not attack the Islamic extremists forums and websites too?

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      People do.

      Anons tend to attack those websites belonging to people who attempt to incite violence upon their fellow man.

      Of course, given enough determination and resources, they're not anon at all, no matter how many proxies are in use.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Doh!

    ... And now there in the news again. No doubt claiming victimisation.

    Well done.

    1. Fibbles

      Re: Doh!

      Well, in all fairness, they have been victimised.

      Even complete asshats can be victims.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I am somewhat surprised they have enough braincells between them to have a website to hack! I wonder what their password would be...

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I always thought of Sharia Law as sort of like BDSM...fine if everybody involved is a willing participant; but don't be expecting me to join in.

    1. Graham Marsden
      Unhappy

      @moiety

      Unfortunately, unlike BDSM, you don't get the chance to say "No" and have your choice respected.

      There again, the EDL also seem to be of the mindset that "You're free to say or do anything you want, provided we agree with it..."http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/unhappy_32.png

      1. Craigness

        Re: @moiety

        Have you tried saying No to English law?

        If people want to operate under whatever laws they think a deity has given them they should be allowed to do that. Basically we need secularism, but Baroness Warsi, Eric Pickles, various newspapers etc think secularism is a threat. They are no different essentially from people wanting to establish Sharia.

        1. Fibbles

          Re: @moiety

          "If people want to operate under whatever laws they think a deity has given them they should be allowed to do that."

          So they should be allowed to opt out of UK laws and instead use a different system simply because their invisible friend says they have to? That's quite a handy precedent since I've got this mate named Harvey (who just so happens to a giant invisible rabbit,) telling me that the UK's counterfeiting laws don't apply to me and that I should set up my own mint.

          1. Craigness

            Re: @moiety

            That's not what I meant. If people think it's wrong to marry gay people, eat pork or drink alcohol then they should not marry gay people, eat pork or drink alcohol. But if they think murder is ok they should leave or comply. If they want to live under Sharia we shouldn't stop them, but we should stop them making laws based on religions and forcing them on other people. That's the only sense in which Sharia should be opposed.

  12. Stilted Banter
    FAIL

    Not in my name

    Since when did 'anonymous' have the right to decide which political messages I can hear and which I can't? In my view the EDL is racist, thuggish, toxic and repellent in every way, but (so far at least) they are also a legal protest movement in a democratic society. It's not for a bunch of keyboard warriors hiding behind anonymity and rejecting any accountability themselves to act as self-righteous political censors.

    1. No, I will not fix your computer
      Meh

      Re: Not in my name

      >>but (so far at least) they are also a legal protest movement in a democratic society.

      There appears to be individuals in and associated with the EDL, who have been found guilty of many offences, a simple google can get more hits than I'm sure the EDL are comfortable with, but of course, this is not EDL policy, it appears that the EDL attracts nefarious people.

      >>to act as self-righteous political censors.

      I suspect that they know it's not a perminent censoring, I'm sure that they didn't possibly think it would be, in fact given their well documented surprise that the service was down for so long, it was unexpected that the impact they had, I suspect they were merely voicing their disproval in a very disruptive way, like turning up to a rally and shouting lots - this also has the potential to "decide which political messages you can hear and which you can't".

      1. SkippyBing

        'There appears to be individuals in and associated with the EDL, who have been found guilty of many offences'

        So like a proper political party then?

  13. Eradicate all BB entrants

    Even though I do not agree .....

    ..... with the EDL, and they are not an organisation I have anything in common with, I still get disappointed with the reference to all of their marches being violent. The violence usually occurs when the UAF turn up to counter protest them, and on an equal basis with the EDL actually instigate the violence.

    The UAF is the left leaning version of the EDL, and have been found to be just as aggressive and threatening. Unfortunately these details never see the light of day because the EDL/BNP are usually the ones submitting footage and accounts of their actions.

    Actually I despise them all because whether it be EDL, BNP or UAF none of them have the ability to discuss anything, they just shout, scream and threaten those who don't agree

  14. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    "One day, Mr Blues is gonna fuck up ..."

    "...and when he does... he better pray the police get to him before we do."

  15. TechnoTechno

    Not even useful

    Couldn't they have taken someone with a real threat to the country's stability like the Conservatives offline?

  16. Mtech25
    Facepalm

    Congrats Anonymous

    You have yet again accomplished nothing expect allowing the EDL to get on the news.

  17. Crisp
    FAIL

    Hacktivism

    All Anonymous seem to have done here is raise awareness of the EDL and make them look like victims.

    Nice job breaking it anon!

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