We reported last week that the Church of Scientology received white powder in hoax letters mailed to several locations in Los Angeles and Orange Country (see story), and speculated that this may be the work of Anonymous, an internet-based group which is waging a high-tech war against the cult-like organization. In response to such speculation, Anonymous put a statement up on their website:
"Anonymous does not work like most organizations you have come across before, and therefore your common understanding of "responsibility" cannot logically be applied to us. Anonymous should not be thought of as a single entity, with a focus on a single path to a single goal - there is no hierarchy; there are no order-givers or order-takers. Rather, we work as individuals or as small groups, getting our ideas about what to do by communicating with each other. Whoever did this was a small group who made their own choice for their own actions, and they are the ones who are responsible. They may not even be Anonymous (they might even have been a plant by the "Church" of Scientology as black propaganda); we do not know, and by the nature of our organization, cannot know. However, be assured that the vast majority of us have not attempted to organize any actions which will cause physical or mental damage to any persons. This is indeed self-evident, if you will look past the distortions of the media - because out of the many (estimate: hundreds of) thousands of us participating in this project, the media has only managed to produce ONE report of such an action."
Like much of the media, we'd previously referred the organization as a "hacker group," but Anonymous are keen to dispel this image:
"Anonymous is a collective of individuals united by an awareness that someone must do the right thing, that someone must bring light to the darkness, that someone must open the eyes of a public that has slumbered for far too long....Among our numbers you will find individuals from all walks of life - lawyers, parents, IT professionals, members of law enforcement, college and graduate students, veterinary technicians and more. "
In order to highlight what they call the "the gross human rights violations committed by this cult, " the group are now taking their fight beyond the confines of the web, and are calling for a day of more traditional protest outside Scientology locations worldwide on February 10th. To this end, Anonymous have outlined their plans in a new video, and have prepared a list of 22 rules for those wishing to join their legion. The message, which suggests that protesters cover their faces and wear sensible shoes, starts by explaining, "The purpose of the demonstration in a modern western society is to convey a message to the public," and ends with a reminder that, "the success of the demonstration as a whole hinges on the good behavior of all those who participate."
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