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Anonymous Picks Up Litter To Protest Japanese Piracy Laws

By James Lu - on 10 Jul 2012, 10:46am

Anonymous Picks Up Litter To Protest Japanese Piracy Laws

Source: AFP

Stepping away from their usual modus operandi, which involves hacking in the name of activism, roughly 80 members of internet activist group, Anonymous, took to the streets of Tokyo to pick up garbage in protest of recent revisions to Japan’s laws against illegal downloads.

Dressed in their iconic black suits and Guy Fawkes masks, the group took part in the 'Anonymous Cleaning Service' operation, which called for the picking up of litter in the parks and streets of Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward for about an hour.

Last month, Japan's parliament enacted new copyright laws that could mean jail for anyone illegally downloading copyrighted music and movies. On 26th June, websites of the Japanese finance ministry, the Supreme Court and other public offices were defaced or brought down after an Anonymous online statement denounced the new laws.

The Japanese group responsible for the 'Anonymous Cleaning Service' clarified that the cyber attacks were undertaken by other Anonymous elements from around the world, stating that, "we prefer constructive and productive solutions. We want to make our fellow citizens aware of the problem with a productive message."

He continued by saying, "the cleaning service has amused overseas Anonymous allies as something unique to the Japanese."

Source: Straits Times (via AFP)

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