F1: Anonymous plans to disrupt Canadian Grand Prix

Montreal - Concern is growing that the worldwide group of computer hackers known as Anonymous is planning to use the Canadian Grand Prix as a forum to raise awareness to the protests over rising university-tuition fees in Quebec.

A news item on AnonNews, a website promoting itself as “Everything Anonymous,” claims the group is planning cyber attacks on the Formula 1 website, during the week leading up to the Canadian Grand Prix (June 10) in support of Quebec students protesting the province’s plan to hike tuition fees by more than 80 per cent to cover budgetary shortfalls. The group is quoted in the news report as saying the move to raise tuition fees is “universally condemned by human rights watchers around the world as tyrannical, draconian – and (has left) Quebec in clear violation of its basic human rights obligations.” The UK Press Association published a report by Anonymous that states, “As we did in Bahrain, Anonymous intends to wreck Mr. (Bernie) Ecclestone’s little party… We highly suggest you join the boycott of the F1 in Montreal and we certainly recommend you not purchase any tickets or F1 merchandise online. You have been warned.” The group outlines its course of action as, “Beginning on June 7th and running through race day on June 10th, Anonymous will take down all the F1 websites, dump the servers and databases – and wreck anything else F1-related we can find on the Internet.” A report in the Montreal Gazette says the activist group called on Formula 1 drivers to “add their support to the movement by refusing to cross the start line.” The Gazette also reported that Anonymous brought down Quebec government and police websites last month.