Anonymous warns Italy over arrests

HACKTIVIST HACKER GROUP Anonymous has responded with a call to arms to reports that some of its alleged members have been arrested.

Reports earlier this week said that over thirty members of the group had been arrested in Italy and Switzerland and that some might have been rather senior in the group. Anonymous has denied this in a statement on its Anonops news web site.

"A few hours ago, the Italian police announced complaints, arrests and raids against a number of members of Italian anonymous," it said.

"The media has spread the news that the entire Italian network of anonymous has been dismantled and the "leader's" of Italian anonymous was arrested. Anonymous denies these media reports an reiterates that this is impossible: Anonymous is not been dismantled."

The group added that it has no organisational structure and no senior members. In fact, it added, perhaps in response to demonisation tactics in the media, "Anonymous has no leaders, no structure. All anonymous members operate at the same level," it said.

"Those arrested are not 'dangerous hackers' as the media calls them, but people like you. They have been arrested while peacefully protesting for there (sic) and your rights...".

"The Italian Anonymous have not fallen because of this cowardly attempt to dismantle them and announce consequences for there actions taken by the police, to demonstrate that anonymous is present and fights on, like it did in the past and will in the future, for the freedom of the internet."

Anonymous, we are reminded, is legion and does not forget. Italy should expect it. µ