Anonymous kicked started the operation #OpWhales and shut down almost all the Iceland government websites for about 13 hours as a protest against the whaling practices in Iceland.
The online Hacktivist group launched a DDoS attack on 27th November at night during the #OpWhales and successfully shutting down every ministry website except the Ministry of Welfare. An Icelandic website RUV said that the websites were down for about 13 hours.
Though the sites were restored but the Anonymous posted a video promising that it was just the beginning.
The tag #OpWhales on Twitter also proves the attack as the official count promises to continue the operation until whaling is stopped.
https://twitter.com/TeamRektIT/status/670341701056241664/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Usually, Anonymous conduct attacks on the government-owned website but in the case of #OpWhales the hacktivists also stricken the company that carries out fin whale hunting in Iceland named as “HB Grandi” calling them the big key in the killing of fin whales in Iceland.
https://twitter.com/_RektFaggot_/status/663486464165076993/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Anonymous also seem to have been approaching the members of the parliament who oppose the whale hunting practices as did the Social Democrat MP Katrín Júlíusdóttir on her twitter account saying:
“Getting endless spam-tweets against whaling. Tiresome. I have only one thing to say: You are preaching to the choir, people!”
Fæ endalaus spam – tweet gegn hvalveiðum. Þreytandi. Hef eitt að segja: You are preaching to the choir people! #OpWhales #endangeredspecies
— Katrín Júlíusdóttir (@katrinjul) November 28, 2015
Though, the campaign is for killing all the species of whales, but the Anonymous have specifically pointed out the hunting of fin whales perhaps because IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature) has announced fin whales as one of the endangered animals. The union & the International whaling Commission (IWC) had put a ban on hunting of this breed of whales in 1986.
This is not the first time when Anonymous protested in support of animal rights. In the past, the hacktivists went against X-Rated animal abuse websites and shut down world’s largest animal abuse forum.
In October 2015, Anonymous also claimed responsibility for shutting down two Japanese Airport websites against Dolphin slaughter in the country.
