Anonymous Targets Fort Lauderdale Over Anti-Homeless Law
The loosely knit Internet collective group Anonymous targeted Fort Lauderdale’s website Monday over the ordinance forbidding feeding the homeless outdoors.
[su_center_ad]NBC Miami reports that as of Monday afternoon, the city of Fort Lauderdale’s homepage was not accessible. The downed website came less than 24 hours after Anonymous issued a threat to the city to overturn several ordinances dealing with the homeless or see the city’s home page and other pages hacked.
Earlier this month, 90-year-old Arnold Abbott was arrested for feeding the homeless and faces a $500 fine and 60 days in jail. Two other church ministers were arrested as well.
Anonymous is calling it “Operation Lift the Bans.”
In a video uploaded on YouTube, a voice states:
“Hello citizen of the world and Fort Lauderdale. It has come to our attention that Mayor John Seiler has become an embarrassment to the law abiding citizens of Frot Lauderdale. Arresting Arnold Abbot who is 90 years old and served our country for feeding the homeless. You are a disgrace Mayo John Seiler. So therefore, we have a list of demands and if not met, then we shall shut down the main site of Fort Lauderdale among other sites. Our demands are to lift the ordinance C-14-38 which makes panhandling illegal at busy intersections for not only homeless but also charities; C14-41 which makes it illegal for anyone to sleep in public in the downtown area; and C14-42 which prohibits citizens from being able to hand out food unless certain requirements are met. You have 24 hours or less depending on whether this reaches you Mayor John Seiler. 24 hours to comply with our demands or the site will be shut down along with other sites belonging to Fort Lauderdale. Operation Lift the Bans engaged. We are anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. You should have expected this Mayor John Seiler.”
Watch:
Please show your support if you tweet this post by using the #OpLiftthebans hashtag. [su_csky_ad]
edmeyer_able December 1st, 2014 at 6:52 pm
🙂
mea_mark December 1st, 2014 at 6:53 pm
I wonder how much this cost the city to fix? I sure hope this is more than just a nuisance and the city doesn’t just ignore what’s happening and keeps up its oppression of the poor.
edmeyer_able December 1st, 2014 at 7:35 pm
What’s sad about this is it will cost the city funds which could have been better utilized in aiding those the city is oppressing.
rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 4:44 am
Do YOU really think those funds would be used that way?? I don’t
whatthe46 December 1st, 2014 at 6:59 pm
they crack me up.
burqa December 1st, 2014 at 11:52 pm
This vigilantism will end badly.
Can we really be sure this is Anonymous, anyway?
I wonder what would happen if some malicious group of hackers posed as Anonymous and did something deplorable, or if members of Anonymous did something awful and denied it, how would we know?
tiredoftea December 2nd, 2014 at 1:24 am
I really wish these guys would aim higher.
rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 4:43 am
Richly deserved