Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Hotspot Vigilantes Are Trying to Beam the Internet To Julian Assange (vice.com)

Posted by msmash on from the great-lengths dept.

Ecuadorian government said earlier this week that it did cut off Julian Assange's internet connection. They noted that Assange's continued interference in the U.S. election campaign was the reason why they decided to disconnect Assange from the internet. But it appears some people are going to great lengths to beam internet connectivity to Mr. Assange. This week 4chan urged people to head to the embassy to set up mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, and many are doing just that. From a Motherboard report:"We are now calling all BRITS to get their ass down to the embassy and stand around in mass, taking shifts with wifi-hotspots on hand!" reads the post. "Give Assange constant network and morale support all while streaming it live for the world to see." Are people actually going to try this? Motherboard UK visited the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has claimed political asylum since August 2012, today to find out. Admittedly, on a late October afternoon, things were rather quiet on the street outside the embassy. Nevertheless, I found my guy. "Marco" was loitering outside the embassy, turning on and off his mobile hotspot. I approached him, and while tentative at first, Marco finally started explaining how he was hoping to aid Assange.

8 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. Phone by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does the guy not have a mobile phone? I hear London has mobile internets and everything nowadays. It's quite the happening little village.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    1. Re:Phone by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If Ecuador has decided to shut off his Internet access to stop him from trying to fuck around with the US election, I have a feeling that they wouldn't be any more tolerant of him using alternative means to continue the campaign. I honestly think that his days hanging out in the Ecuadorian Embassy are numbered, and too much pursuing of his October Surprise strategy is likely to mean he's shown the door.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:Phone by Spy+Handler · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Or maybe not support the candidate that wants to stop all trade with Latin countries and calls all Latinos bad hombres.

      Actual quote is "some bad hombres". Not "all". I know you believe your cause is just and the other side is evil and therefore it's okay to lie or fudge things here and there, but to neutral observers it makes whatever you say less credible.

    3. Re:Phone by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

      And we are Homens not Hombres.

      I don't see what your sexual preference has to do with this discussion, but I do believe you deserve the same right to marriage as anyone else.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re: Phone by BlueStrat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      However this man is not a hero, he is a criminal trading in stolen goods - goods he stole from every American. We need to keep that in mind.

      "Trading in stolen goods" eh?

      Since when has theft of public ignorance been a crime?

      Oh yeah, ever since we've had criminal politicians who've relied on public ignorance to avoid prosecution, that's when.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    5. Re:Phone by fustakrakich · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Are these the same intelligence agencies that told us about Iraq?

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  2. Surely Wikileaks can function without Assange by caseih · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If Wikileaks' work is so important, I'm sure it can continue on without Assange in the loop, surely. In fact it would regain a lot of credibility were this to happen. Lately I think Assange's narcissism is more of a liability than an asset to Wikileaks and its cause.

  3. Re:In all honesty... by Spy+Handler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've really not been impressed by all of the Hillary-bashing Wikileaks has been doing lately

    So you only like the truth leaked when it's about people you don't like? If there's damning evidence that's being hidden about people you agree with, you would want it hidden?

    they're not saying a damned thing about Trump. And it's pretty fucking unlikely they don't have anything on Trump.

    Trump was not a gov't official so there isn't gonna be any classified material to reveal about him. He had a real estate business and a TV show. There's plenty of dirt on Trump, like the recording of him talking about groping pussies and such, but revealing those do not require whistleblower protection or the assistance of Wikileaks. You can just take that straight to Extra or CNN.

    Dirt about Hillary's doings while a high ranking gov't official is not so safe to reveal. If you get caught leaking it you go to jail. That's where wikileaks comes in.