40 
Looks like Anonymous doesn’t like what’s happening in Bahrain ahead of this weekend’s F1 grand prix. The hacking collective has taken down the official Formula One site with its classic DDoS attack, while other F1 sites, including the fan site F1-racers.net, have been hacked.
The front page of F1-racers.net announces #OpBahrain with the following statement:
Greetings from Anonymous
For over one year the people of Bahrain have struggled against the oppressive regime of King Hamad bin Al Khalifa. They have been murdered in the streets, run over with vehicles, beaten, tortured, tear gassed, kidnapped by police, had their businesses vandalised by police, and have tear gas thrown in to their homes on a nightly basis.
Still the regmine persists to deny any meaningful reform and continues to use brutal and violent tactics to oppress the popular calls for reformation. Not only is the Human Rights situation in Bahrain tragic, it becomes more drastic with each passing day. For these reasons the F1 Grand Prix in Bahrain should be strongly opposed. The Al Khalifa regime stands to profit heavily off the race and has promised to use live ammunition against protestors in preparation. They have already begun issuing collective punishment to entire villages for protests and have promised further retribution “to keep order” for the F1 events in Bahrain. The Formula 1 racing authority was well-aware of the Human Rights situation in Bahrain and still chose to contribute to the regime’s oppression of civilians and will be punished.
We demand the immediate release of human rights worker Abdulhadi Alkhawaja who has spent over 70 days on hunger strike. He has committed no crimes and is being punished by the regime for advocating people’s basic human rights. Free him and all other political prisoners in Bahrain. End torture. Deport all mercenary police and stop the use of tear gas against civilians.
We Do Not Forgive. We Do Not Forget. Expect Us.
0×0 was and still is here. Join #OpBahrain
While taking out websites is unlikely to have any effect on the race this weekend, if Anonymous really wants to have a go at F1 there could be some serious consequences. Considering teams like McLaren beam back their race data in real time to their bases of operation back home for analysis, if Anonymous got stuck into the data links and other services it could really cripple some teams.
While I’m not a fan of what’s happening in Bahrain, F1’s just a sport, and I doubt it’ll be going back there any time soon given what’s been happening anyway. It’ll be an interesting race either way this weekend. Let’s just hope it goes off without a hitch, hacked or otherwise. [Jalopnik]
Update: Anonymous released a press release of all things, about Operation Bahrain:
Anonymous Press Release – Operation Bahrain
Thursday – April 19, 2012 7:00 PM ET USA
Anonymous has watched with growing alarm the incredible human rights abuses of the Bahrain regime. We have watched this tyrannical government tear gas it’s own people literally to death, with over 30 fatalities so far. We have watched as thousands of innocent protesters and activists have been jailed. We have suffered with our dear friend @AngryArabiya on Twitter as she watches her father slowly die of a hunger strike in prison to protest the atrocities committed by the regime of this “king” of Bahrain. We have witnessed doctors and nurses imprisoned for simply treating the wounded protesters that your security forces have brutalized. And finally we have suffered in outrage the ignorance and out right lies of mainstream media regarding what is REALLY happening in Bahrain.
1) This is NOT a Shia uprising against a Sunni government. It is a popular and peaceful revolt against the medieval concept of absolute monarchy. It is a movement that spans all strata and sectors of society, and all religions in Bahrain. It is a movement that demands only freedom, justice – and democracy.
2) This government is not quelling violent protests, it is brutally and violently crushing peaceful dissent.
3) This government is NOT legitimate. It is a tyrannical, barbaric – and human rights violating dictatorship. And ANYONE doing business with this regime have the blood of Bahrain’s Freedom Martyrs on their hands.
For over a year now, we have as a global movement concentrated our efforts in Libya and Syria, leaving Anonymous Bahrain to to defend their fellow citizens in cyber space. This will no longer be the case. As of tomorrow, Friday – April 20, 2012 the entire global Anonymous will begin to take up the cause of the Bahrain Revolution. The King of Bahrain be warned, we are about to unleash the worst shitstorm you have ever seen – and your time as dictator is over. We will help your people remove you from power, and we will see you tried in the Hague for your many crimes against humanity.
The occasion of Anonymous re-launching Operation Bahrain will be this despicable Grand Prix Formula One race to be held in Bahrain tomorrow through the 22nd of April. Mr. Eccelstone, you are either one evil mother fucker to hold your race in support of this regime (The Kings family are actually investors and make direct profit) – or else you have been lied to and are ignorant of the atrocities committed by these tyrants. In either case, beginning tomorrow – and lasting for the duration of your race we are going to fucking educate you on the truth in a way you can not ignore.
Beginning tomorrow, and lasting for the duration of this race – Anonymous will turn your web site (www.formula1.com) into a smoking crater in cyber space. We will also jam your phone lines, bomb your E-Mail inboxes – and wreck anything else of yours we can find on the internet. You can god damn well expect us. And to anyone in the world who watches this race, either in person or on television – you also have the blood of the Bahrain Freedom Martyrs on your hands. Turn your face away from this abominable entertainment, and join us online to defend the brave protesters fighting for their freedom in Bahrain. Finally, we join with Anonymous Bahrain in asking that all the drivers in this race protest this evil regime by refusing to cross the start line at the beginning of the race.
Internet Freedom Fighters around the globe, join us this weekend and fight for freedom and justice in Bahrain: irc.voxanon.net #OpBahrain
We Are Anonymous – We Are Everywhere – We Are Legion – We Never Forget – We Never Forgive – EXPECT US
SIGNED — Anonymous
Canada's In the Firing Line as Anonymous Just Isn't Done With Formula 1 Yet
Dine Among the Peaks in This Aluminium-Scaled Alpine Eatery
The Scientific Formula for Perfect Eggnog
I wish Anonymous every sucess in this particular venture. I certainly would like to see it do more than take down a few websites.
Not a fan of F1 or just the particular goings on in Bahrain?
Neither, but even if I was a huge fan of F1 I hope I’d still be enough of a human being to be against this particular Grand Prix.
Aye, maybe, but once things are in motion like this, you can’t easily stop them. The cars were sent to Bahrain on Sunday so they’d have had to have called it all off before the race last weekend.
This is true, but conversely there have been problems in Bahrain since the Arab Spring a year ago. I suspect that the Formula One authorities chose to go ahead regardless a long time ago, don’t give a fuck about the people of Bahrain and won’t do so until bad publicity starts hitting them in the pocket.
If anyone from anonymous is listening. I suggest you go for the satellite links. disrupting the sycronisation should be enough to take the broadcast off air.
Plus the contracts state that the teams & drivers etc are restricted in cancelling races to rulings from the FIA (in conjunction with F1 management) or if Bahrain itself asked for the postponement. Given the FIA ruled that there is nothing preventing the Bahrain GP taking place, the F1 teams & drivers would have faced significant penalties for not racing – including the potential expulsion of the teams from the sport.
Plus no matter where you look in the world, there are injustices, oppression, false imprisonment etc. I am not a fan of the current situation in Bahrain and I would’ve been happy if they’d skipped the GP there, but targetting F1 for going there seems slightly silly when there are far more dangerous institutions and nations supporting both sides there.
They could do what happened in the USA a few years back and all pull in the pits after the safety lap. I think any cars that stay out would lose a lot of respect from the public over this if many decided to stop.
I wholeheartedly agree. Whats going on in Bahrain is atrocious. Formula One is akin to standing on a bridge over the M1 with a plastic square to watch it through.
I also wish him every success with what he/it(?) is doing, Anonymous is a modern day robin hood kind of person
GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS! just dont mess with F1,s Ticket system,I’ve paid good money to go Silverstone lol.
Anonymous needs more focus. At the moment, they stand against ALL injustices in the world. That’s a pretty big challenge. They should try and devote a particular cause throughout all of their attacks, such as the oppression in Bahrain. If they did that, the public would understand more what Anonymous is about.
I’m waiting for the day when historians describe Anonymous as the great freedom fighters of our era, and 4chan as the cultural melting pot on the new frontier of the internet.
Seems like a worthy cause to take up. I wonder how much disruption their actions will cause. What about the F1 iPad app!! If that stopped working many would ask for refunds.
Why anonymous no find Kony?