Scientology Internet Hackers Plan Real-Life Protests at Church Locations

Hackers who launched a massive online attack against the Church of Scientology are now turning to real-world protests to draw attention to what they call a “vast moneymaking scheme under the guise of ‘religion.”‘

The loosely organized group of hackers, who meet up and coordinate attacks through Internet Relay Chat channels, have set Feb. 10 for a wave of protests at Scientology locations worldwide.

In anonymous postings on the group’s Web site, organizers said they are trying to raise awareness about the threats to free speech posed by the church’s lawyers, who, the group claims, aggressively try to silence critics by threatening lawsuits. The church said its lawyers follow standard procedures for protecting copyrighted materials.

The first wave of attacks began earlier this month with hackers bombarding the church’s Web site with traffic to cripple its servers. The church appears to have fortified its Web site since then, deploying technology that helps protect against so-called denial-of-service attacks.

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Posted in * Culture-Watch, Blogging & the Internet, Religion & Culture

5 comments on “Scientology Internet Hackers Plan Real-Life Protests at Church Locations

  1. Ad Orientem says:

    I can’t approve of anything illegal in the form of protests. That said I share their opinion of Scientology. It is one of the greatest frauds of the last century.

  2. Cennydd says:

    You’re not alone…….I agree!

  3. Dave C. says:

    Too bad the hackers seem not to see the irony in attempting to shut down a group’s website to protest the group’s attacks on freedom of expression.

  4. SaintCyprian says:

    Darn you Dave C. for making the point that I was just about to make. I’ll be faster off the mark next time!

  5. Dave C. says:

    SaintCyprian, perhaps my speed was due to a sensitivity about websites being hacked, ever since [url=http://www.classicalanglican.net/] CaNNet was hacked [/url], and archives for many of my favorite Anglican blogs were destroyed.