A great reason to stand in the rain.

So, what do Rick Astley, a literal Carebear in a Gu.y Fa.wk.es mask, and a collection of Bandits all have in common? If my blog posts leave you thinking TLDR I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, for the rest of you, An.ony.mou.s was protesting outside of the Chu.rch o.f Sci.ent.olo.gy today and I felt possessed of a need to keep people informed.

The Ano.nym.ou.s movement has progressed far enough that the folks just looking for an excuse to wear a mask have begun to peter out, at least locally it seems. All the masked men and women(most boys and girls really.) I spoke to seemed very serious and informed. The movement has even become self policing, marked members of the faceless crowd making sure that along with having fun everyone also behaves and remains on message. The Ch.ur.ch of Sc.ien.tol.ogy seemed oddly silent, it's curtains drawn, and a delivery truck parked, at least briefly, out front. There is no doubt they were watching, the least subtle hint being the tripod mounted camera parked unattended in their lobby. After a few hours a police van parked in front of said camera and I had myself a little chuckle at the accidental assist.

A.non.ym.ous' "Hey guys, be nice" approach to organizing is a pleasant surprise given from whence they came, the Ch.ans not being noted for their courtesy. The C.hu.rch seemed completely devoid of representation, the grim weather a likely culprit. Several of the protesters I spoke to mentioned that before the initial protests they looked like a good excuse for harmless mischief and that the spirit of the group had changed that quickly. For a group with no centralized leadership they struck me as quite unified. The spirit of pro.te.st is alive and well in this bunch, who guard their anonymity for the sake of those around them. Make no mistake, these masked men and women intend to save you.

-James