A video has been released in which a group called “Anonymous” says it has engaged “Op Family First”. The video, which was in GayNZ.com’s inbox this morning, features a speaker in a Guy Fawke’s-style mask, which has become a symbol of anonymously fighting oppression. It is used by the hacktivist group Anonymous, which among many other things fights homophobia. It’s unclear whether this video is from Anonymous, or just inspired by it. The hackers are known for distributed denial of service and website defacement attacks and were named by Time magazine as one of the most influential groups in the world last year. The video says Family First has spread misinformation about the marriage equality Bill, to try and derail a “just and worthy cause”. It says “this must stop ... we must uphold the rights of the people of the world to love and marry who they see fit. “Despite numerous warnings, this group continues to spread hate and bigotry towards our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. The time for action has come.” The video then says the group has declared “war” on Family First and its associated groups. Family First’s Protect Marriage website was hit by a "large-scale denial of service attack" when it launched last year, causing it to crash. In December, hackers claiming to be from Anonymous attacked the website of South Australia's Family First party with a grim message vowing to ''irradicate (sic)'' them. Immediate reaction to the video from the New Zealand GLBT community has been mixed, with some finding it hilarious, others saying it's on the money, and others worried it's over the top.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 14th March 2013 - 12:33pm