A faction of the hactivist group has vowed to keep the heat on town members in Steubenville it believes are trying to protect football players involved in the alleged rape of a 16-year-old West Virginia girl in August.
Jaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
A protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, symbolic of the hacktivist group
Anonymous, at a rally earlier this year. The group organized a second
protest in Steubenville, Ohio, on Saturday to protest what it says is an
effort by some town members to protect football players involved in
the rape of a 16-year-old girl in August.
Online hacktivist group Anonymous is planning to hold a rally in
Steubenville, Ohio, on Saturday to protest what it has called a
conspiracy by some town members to protect local football stars accused
of raping a 16-year-old girl in August.
The rally, which a cell of the shadowy hacker collective promoted on Twitter as #OccupySteubenville, is set to take place at the Jefferson County Courthouse at noon.
A similar rally last week drew around 300 to 400 people, according to the local Herald-Star newspaper.
EARLIER: STEUBENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS JOKE ABOUT ALLEGED RAPE ON CAMERA
"#OCCUPYSTEUBENVILLE 1/5/13 city hall courthouse statue thingy, AT NOON! we have a DJ and RT 22 is donating pizza!" the group KnightSec wrote on its Twitter page, @KYAnonymous.
The planned rally comes three days after the group released a video showing Ohio teens reportedly laughing and joking the night the West Virginia teen girl was allegedly raped at a series of parties in August.
Two Steubenville High School football players have been charged with rape and kidnapping in the case.
Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond, both 16, are set to stand trial on Feb. 13.
Last month, Anonymous hijacked a website dedicated to Steubenville's celebrated football team, the Big Red, and posted a video threatening to release the names, addresses, social security numbers and other private information of every player on the team, its coaches, the principal and others if the students involved didn't apologize to the girl and her family.
"This is a warning shot to the school, faculty, the parents, the parents of those involved and those involved especially," a computerized voice on the video said over an image of a figure in a Guy Fawkes mask.
"Make no mistake, all you need is a Google search engine to realize we
are serious in what we do. You can hide no longer. You have attracted
the attention of the hive," the voice said.
Anonymous alleges that community members have been protecting its nationally recognized football team, which has won several state titles and is a source of pride for the economically depressed steel town.
"We will not sit tightly and watch a group of young men who turn to rape as a game or sport get the pass because of athletic ability and small town (inaudible)," the voice on the video said.
Anonymous said it would release the information on Jan 1. So far, it doesn't appear to have made good on the threat.
A separate rally planned for Saturday appeared to be a counterpunch to
Anonymous and the growing national uproar surrounding the case.
A Facebook page for that rally, titled "Stand Up for Steubenville Youth," said "Innocent young children being harassed for someone else's crime just because they attend the same school district has to be stopped!" according to the Herald-Star.
The alleged rape came to light after some players and students made references to it on Twitter, posted pictures on Instagram and also uploaded video from the night to YouTube, The New York Times reported last month.
Events began at an end-of-summer party in a volunteer football coach’s home, where alcohol was freely flowing, The Times said.
The girl may have been unconscious, dragged to different parties and raped over several hours.
In the 12-minute tape, which Steubenville police said they and prosecutors had seen, one student claims the girl was urinated on.
At a different point the video, another student says, "That's like rape. It is rape. They raped her...They raped her."
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com
The rally, which a cell of the shadowy hacker collective promoted on Twitter as #OccupySteubenville, is set to take place at the Jefferson County Courthouse at noon.
A similar rally last week drew around 300 to 400 people, according to the local Herald-Star newspaper.
EARLIER: STEUBENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS JOKE ABOUT ALLEGED RAPE ON CAMERA
"#OCCUPYSTEUBENVILLE 1/5/13 city hall courthouse statue thingy, AT NOON! we have a DJ and RT 22 is donating pizza!" the group KnightSec wrote on its Twitter page, @KYAnonymous.
The planned rally comes three days after the group released a video showing Ohio teens reportedly laughing and joking the night the West Virginia teen girl was allegedly raped at a series of parties in August.
Twitter page for @KYAnonymous, a cell of the hacktivist collective Anonymous. The group, KnightSec, demanded an apology for the alleged rape of a West Virginia girl in August.
Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond, both 16, are set to stand trial on Feb. 13.
Last month, Anonymous hijacked a website dedicated to Steubenville's celebrated football team, the Big Red, and posted a video threatening to release the names, addresses, social security numbers and other private information of every player on the team, its coaches, the principal and others if the students involved didn't apologize to the girl and her family.
"This is a warning shot to the school, faculty, the parents, the parents of those involved and those involved especially," a computerized voice on the video said over an image of a figure in a Guy Fawkes mask.
wtrf.com
In a video released late last month, Anonymous, whose members are known for wearing Guy Fawkes masks, vowed to release private information it had gathered on every member of the Steubenville High football team, its coaches, parents, school officials and others.
Anonymous alleges that community members have been protecting its nationally recognized football team, which has won several state titles and is a source of pride for the economically depressed steel town.
"We will not sit tightly and watch a group of young men who turn to rape as a game or sport get the pass because of athletic ability and small town (inaudible)," the voice on the video said.
Anonymous said it would release the information on Jan 1. So far, it doesn't appear to have made good on the threat.
Mark Bacchus via YouTube
A video that was posted online, taken down and then resurfaced on Wednesday features students laughing about the alleged assault. Anonymous said it reposted the video.
A Facebook page for that rally, titled "Stand Up for Steubenville Youth," said "Innocent young children being harassed for someone else's crime just because they attend the same school district has to be stopped!" according to the Herald-Star.
The alleged rape came to light after some players and students made references to it on Twitter, posted pictures on Instagram and also uploaded video from the night to YouTube, The New York Times reported last month.
Events began at an end-of-summer party in a volunteer football coach’s home, where alcohol was freely flowing, The Times said.
The girl may have been unconscious, dragged to different parties and raped over several hours.
In the 12-minute tape, which Steubenville police said they and prosecutors had seen, one student claims the girl was urinated on.
At a different point the video, another student says, "That's like rape. It is rape. They raped her...They raped her."
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