Hacktivism group Anonymous has targeted the Formula 1 website with a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack in response to the decision to run this weekend’s Bahrain F1 race despite violent protests in the country.
Formula 1 has been under increasing pressure to cancel this weekend’s Grand Prix due to the violent anti-government protests that have rocked the country in recent weeks. However F1 has decided to push ahead with the race, a decision that has clearly irked Anonymous.
During the attack on the Friday afternoon before the race, the Formula 1 website was just loading a blank page while associated sites, such as F1-racers.net had also been defaced. A messaged posted by the hackers claimed that the takedown was part of #OpBahrain.
"For over one year the people of Bahrain have struggled against the oppressive regime of King Hamad bin Al Khalifa. They have been murdered in the streets, run over with vehicles, beaten, tortured, tear gassed, kidnapped by police, had their businesses vandalised by police, and have tear gas thrown in to their homes on a nightly basis," the message read.
It continued: "Still the regmine persists to deny any meaningful reform and continues to use brutal and violent tactics to oppress the popular calls for reformation. Not only is the Human Rights situation in Bahrain tragic, it becomes more drastic with each passing day."
"For these reasons the F1 Grand Prix in Bahrain should be strongly opposed. The Al Khalifa regime stands to profit heavily off the race and has promised to use live ammunition against protestors in preparation. They have already begun issuing collective punishment to entire villages for protests and have promised further retribution "to keep order" for the F1 events in Bahrain. The Formula 1 racing authority was well-aware of the Human Rights situation in Bahrain and still chose to contribute to the regime’s oppression of civilians and will be punished," Anonymous said.
The message also carried a demand to free a human rights worker.
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"We demand the immediate release of human rights worker Abdulhadi Alkhawaja who has spent over 70 days on hunger strike. He has committed no crimes and is being punished by the regime for advocating people’s basic human rights. Free him and all other political prisoners in Bahrain. End torture. Deport all mercenary police and stop the use of tear gas against civilians," the defacement said.
