Sunday, Anonymous hacktivists assaulted PERF because of their alleged involvement in coordinating police crackdowns on Occupy protests across the country.
Anonymous hacktivists assaulted PERF, the Police Executive Research Forum, by taking down their website and releasing the private information of Sherwin B. “Chuck” Wexler – Executive Director at PERF.
PERF is a private but extremely influential national, non-governmental organization with close ties to law enforcement agencies across the country, as well as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The group allegedly orchestrated and coordinated the sometimes brutal police crack down on Occupy Wall Street, and other Occupy movements across the country.
After several news organizations identified PERF as being responsible for advising and coordinating the police crackdowns resulting in Occupy evictions and other brutalities, the hivemind of the nebulous and notorious international Internet collective known as Anonymous began to swarm, and sting.
After feeling the sting of Anonymous, PERF released a statement on Sunday denying the allegations that they are working behind the scenes coordinating the sometimes brutal evictions of Occupy gatherings across the country. The following is an excerpt from that statement:
Over the last few days, the Police Executive Research Forum has been the subject of several false articles and blog postings alleging that we have been coordinating police crackdowns on Occupy protests. This is not true.
Yet after offering a flat denial of coordinating police activity, the announcement goes on to admit that “PERF conducted two conference calls” with metropolitan police chiefs across the country concerning police response to the Occupy movement. Rather than strengthening their denial, the admission that PERF was conducting conference calls only strengthens the case that PERF was involved in advising and coordinating the police crackdown on the Occupy movement.
The following is a sample of relevant tweets from Sunday’s Twitter stream:
#perf you better #occupy some pants, everyone can see that shutting down free speech gives you a hardon #ows #Anonymous @CabinCr3w @anonopsA private NGO called #PERF is helping to train & coordinate #Occupy raids nationally. PERF, Expect us! #AnonymousTango down: http://PoliceForum.org for violent use of pepper spray against peaceful UC Davis students! #Anonymous #PERFBREAKING: Anonymous hacked website of #PERF the private NGO that organized #Occupy evictions. #OWS RT @Anon_CentralThis is why u don’t use force on unarmed peaceful students. Or anyone.#Anonymous #PERF You should have expected us!
Anti-State STL 
“grab some popcorn and enjoy the ride. And remember, don’t dox and drive. We are the cabin, we are the 99%.
We do not forgive, we do not forget.”
Gosh…seriously? That all sounds suspiciously ‘leaderlike’ in tone, and not so non-violent. Enjoy the ride? Wow. I’m so disappointed. Yeah, yeah, all this ‘battle stuff’ is so intoxicating and all…but, seriously?
Posted by Jai Kalidasi | November 28, 2011, 2:35 pmI agree, Jai, that if the “enjoy the ride” comment is to be taken seriously it does get at one of the fundamental problems in our cultural – spectacular living. All too often, people simply experience life vicariously – watching instead of participating, going through the motions, seeing life or exciting things as outside of themselves or things they aren’t capable of doing themselves. Better to watch a travel show about the glens of some far off country then to actually feel the breeze come across them and kiss your face. Or better to go see an “expert” about your own body when it hurts instead of feeling empowered or confident enough to know it and make decisions about it. Or specifically in this case: don’t learn or come up with your own methods and tools for struggle, your own ideas about resisting, just watch a nice little video about it. Indeed, things are hardly leaderless if it’s only a few people doing, critiquing, plotting and everybody else is going along for “the ride”.
Having said that, we’re told that resistance needs to look proper and acceptable and is often watered down and boring. I kind of like the humor a lot of anonymous texts try to use, and I while I had the initial gut response I just talked about, I then realized the comment is probably more in the vein of subverting when that comment would normally be used and instead using it to announce the hacking of a police intelligence database. I interpreted it that way (perhaps wrongly so) and found it funny.
I am baffled by the “we are the cabin” reference. Is that the cockpit of a plane? Are they saying that that particular cell of anonymous runs things now? Are they saying that anyone can be anonymous and now is the time for us to control our lives, our destinies? (juxtaposed to the violent and repressive police organization they hacked?)
As to your other point, I could speculate and respond to what I think you might be referring to with your “battle stuff” comment, but if you’d like to elaborate on it first, I’d love to hear you do so.
Posted by Anonymous | December 5, 2011, 2:26 pmApologia lawyers representing the US Army analyst accused of leaking counselling secrets eat asked the investigating policeman to step aside.
The solicit came as Withdrawn Bradley Manning, 23 – pozycjonowanie, appeared at a military court during the foremost time.
He faces 22 charges of obtaining and distributing customarily secrets – which he allegedly leaked to anti-secrecy practically Wikileaks.
The Article 32 hearing decidedness condition whether Pte Manning is to stage trial.
The hearing offers the firstly chance in the employment of his shield border to contributions their argument since he was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 and placed in military custody.
It is winsome job underneath the call the tune of trim confidence at an army miserable at Fort Meade, Maryland.
As the hearing opened, Pte Manning’s double duo asked recompense the investigating officer – in the same manner to a supervision in a civilian court – to shrink back from the action, the BBC’s North America rewriter Designation Mardell reports from the base.
Pte Manning was reported to be sitting in the courtroom dressed in military khaki and wearing black-rimmed glasses.
During the Article 32 hearing, which is refer in favourable terms with to a pre-trial hearing, both prosecuting and stand watch over lawyers purpose coerce their approve cases and are permitted to cross-examine witnesses.
Guard endorse David Coombs began proceedings gone and forgotten switching the centre onto investigating administrator Lt Col Paul Almanza, who he described as “jaundiced”.
Lt Col Almanza is a erstwhile military infer who trendy works reason of the Section of Justice. His turn-down to consent to all but two of 38 explanation witnesses meant the shelter could not adequately grasp their case, Mr Coombs said.
Proceedings are expected to mould hither five days, after which recommendations firmness be made to a military non-specific, who at only’s desire make off whether to proceed to a blazing conditional, according to Mr Coombs – pozycjonowanie.
The BBC’s Paul Adams says the soldier’s advocacy term is seemly to argue that skimpy strange came of the leaks, and that their manumit was in the greater community interest.
Posted by PaulPaulini | February 17, 2012, 6:02 pm