Allies of global hacker group pick litter in protest

Last month, Japan's parliament enacted new copyright laws that could mean jail for anyone illegally downloading copyrighted music and movies. Allies of global hacker group Anonymous have put on their masks and picked up litter in a Tokyo park as a protest against tough illegal download laws. 

On June 26, websites of the Japanese finance ministry, the Supreme Court and other public offices were defaced or brought down after an Anonymous online statement denounced the new laws.

The statement claimed Japan's recording industry and other content providers were now pushing internet service providers to implement surveillance technology that will spy on every single Internet user in Japan.

The group, which assembled for the clean-up service in Tokyo, attributed the cyber attacks to other Anonymous elements around the world.

"We prefer constructive and productive solutions," the group said in a statement. "We want to make our fellow citizens aware of the problem with a productive message."


"The cleaning service has amused overseas Anonymous allies as something unique to the Japanese," said another spokesman. "We want to continue stating our case on the net."