2011-01-27 Pirate Party statement concerning Anonymous arrests

On 27th of January 2011 at 15:00, the Pirate Party UK issued a press release in regards to the recent five arrests of Anonymous members. Amongst other points made in the Press releasethis underlining point was made:

While the Party will never condone any illegal actions, it can understand the frustration felt by many who feel powerless in the face of multinational corporations and Governments unwilling to step in.

That normal, everyday people choose to take these sorts of actions shows the extent to which many people feel disenfranchised by mainstream politics and the Pirate Party aims to give such people a voice and a means to engage in these issues through lawful and political methods rather than resorting to 'hacktivism' and other actions that could be illegal.

Further, the Piratenpartei has filed a petition with the Deutscher Bundestag which, in part states:
Protection of whistle blowers. (Translated in Part)

Whistle blowers are an important corrective force in any free and democratic society. This is one reason for the need to find a general legal system of protection of whistle blowers. Additionally, society must be informed that whistle blowers have a social value, and function as has already been established for press informants.

Further, the division between good and bad Whistle blowers should not be made. The assessment of whistle blowing can not and must not depend on one's own interests.

It is therefore requested that the Bundesverfassungsgericht |Federal Constitutional Court| and Bundesarbeitsgericht |Federal Labour Court| set case law relating to whistle blowing in such a fashion as to clarify the responsibilities and rectify all uncertainties in regards to whistle blowing protection both criminal and civil legal.

This requires that the legislature establishes a general and comprehensive protection for whistle blowers with necessary exceptions.

The full text of the Pirate Party UK Press release

The full text of the Piratenpartei petition

2011-01-28: FBI Executes 40 Search Warrants for DDoS Attacks, UK Arrests 5