November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day in England. Fawkes was a member of the Gunpowder Plot, a 1605 conspiracy to blow up the British Parliament Building. A stylized mask said to resemble Fawkes has been adopted by the Occupy! movement as its symbol. Previously, the mask had been used by the Anonymous computer hacker group. They got it from the Warner Brothers movie “V for Vendetta,” which is based on the comic book graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.
Just one thing. Fawkes wasn’t a revolutionary. He was a reactionary.
Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plotters sought to destroy the British Government in order to restore Catholicism, the older state religion. It was not a move to propel society forward to a brave new future, but an attempt to turn back the clock. If they knew any history and didn’t hate foreigners, Tea Party members would be wearing those masks instead of their three-cornered hats.
Related:
“How Did Guy Fawkes Become a Symbol of Occupy Wall Street?” Edward Lovett, ABC News
“Descendant of the man who caught Guy Fawkes trying to blow up Parliament is a top fireworks display expert,” Nadia Gilani, Daily Mail
“On The Trail Of Guy Fawkes In The UK’s Museums And Heritage Sites,” Culture24.org.uk
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Tags: Anonymous, bonfire night, Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes Day, Guy Fawkes Night, holidays, mask, masks, November 5, November 5th, Occupy Wall Street, OWS, UK, V for Vendetta
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