[WSIS CS-Plenary] [Fwd: Indymedia: Operation Hard Drive-By]

[Sasha Costanza-Chock]

Please forward.


[active links in original at: 
http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/10/112179.shtml ]

Activists angered by the multilateral seizure of Indymedia hard drives
last October 7th will be turning over piles of old drives to
intelligence agencies across the world this week, in symbolic protests
against what many are denouncing as a serious violation of communication
rights. The Global Action is called Operation Hard Drive-By.

The first of wave of solidarity actions took place last week in the
Netherlands, where activists delivered symbolic old hardware to the
Italian consulate in Amsterdam. The next day, activists in San
Francisco, USA handed over hardware to the FBI. In Houston, members of
the IMC delivered a letter to the Swiss consulate.

[ Netherlands Hard Drive-By | San Francisco Hard Drive-By: Photos |
Video | Action in Houston: Audio ]

The protests will happen all week, beginning Monday October 18th, to
coincide with Media Democracy Day. Operation Hard Drive-by are already
planned to happen in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and Perth, Australia.

Indymedia supporters promised that Operation Hard Drive-by would
escalate and spread until their demands are met. A Statement of
Solidarity signed by more than 2000 people calls for the full disclosure
of the names of organizations and individuals involved in the seizure, a
copy of the court order, and an independent investigation into any
violations of due process.

More at http://solidarity.indymedia.org.uk