Arbeitsblatt: History of the Guy Fawkes Mask

A brief history of the Guy Fawkes mask And how the mask evolved into an unlikely global symbol of rebellion (The Week, July 2013) Over the past decade, dissidents across the globe have made the visage of Guy Fawkes, the infamous insurgent who tried to blow up the British Parliament in 1605, their own, transforming the once-reviled fringe rebel into widespread symbol of resistance. The iconic version of the Guy Fawkes mask owes its popularity to the graphic novel and film for Vendetta, which centers on vigilante efforts to destroy an authoritarian government in sci-fi future United Kingdom. Although he didnt predict the mask role in popular protest, David Lloyd, the artist who illustrated the comic, told The New York Times, It great symbol of protest for anyone who sees tyranny. Before for Vendetta (which was published in serial form throughout the 1980s before being made into 2005 film), Guy Fawkes costumes and effigies were only popular in the U.K. on Guy Fawkes Day, November 5 celebration that, by the 20th century, had been largely divorced from Fawkes violent plot. But as youve likely noticed, over the past few years the stylized mask has evolved into global symbol of dissent, employed by everyone from shadowy computer hackers to Turkish airline workers. And although the masks are often used in anti-establishment demonstrations, one of the largest media corporations in the country gains the most from the masks rising popularity. Time Warner owns the rights to the image, and at over 100,000 masks year, it is by far the company best-selling facial costume. Here, brief history of the mask unlikely rise: Anonymous The hacktivist collective Anonymous popularized these masks in 2008 when it launched movement targeting the Church of Scientology after the church tried to censor an interview with Tom Cruise on the web. Members of the collective agreed to come out from behind their computer screens to protest the Church of Scientology, but needed way to conceal their identities. The Guy Fawkes mask was their chosen disguise. When asked why the mask was selected, one protester told The Boston Globe, I can say the image of people marching towards Parliament in the spirit of protest, that wall of masks, had certain resonance amongst those who held negative feelings about organizations such as Scientology but also towards the government. Since then, the masks have become go-to symbol of the collective and anti-establishment movements worldwide. Occupy The Occupy Movement, born in NYC, adopted the mask in 2011. On Guy Fawkes Day that year, Facebook invitation urged all OCCUPY protesters of the world to come together on November 5 th to rally again for our efforts to end corruption and social injustice. From that point on, the symbolism of the mask evolved concurrently with the movement. Still, the mask doesnt carry such weight for everyone who wears it. Sid Hiltunen, an unemployed stockbroker who joined the OWS movement, told the New York Times, If you want to show your support but are afraid youll lose your job, just wear mask – any mask. Protesters around the world were spotted wearing the antiauthoritarian vigilante trademark disguise. Even Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks, wore one to an Occupy rally in London. Protests in Thailand This summer, another anti-government movement embraced the Guy Fawkes mask. In Thailand, protesters wore them in demonstrations against the so-called puppet administration controlled by an exiled ex-prime minister. The masks and leaderless nature of the demonstrations are reminiscent of the global Occupy movement and the anti-establishment Anonymous message. Anti-government protesters attend rally in Bangkok. Turkish Airlines workers In contemporaneous movement, Turkish Airlines employees have adopted the masks to fight for their rights as workers. The Middle East The mask also played role in the Arab Spring movements of 2011. Photos of masked protesters in Egypt show that the Guy Fawkes mask has become so incendiary that several Middle Eastern countries are prohibiting its import and sale. The Saudi Ministry of Interior did just that, claiming the mask instills culture of violence and extremism. The measure was expanded several days later to include the destruction of all masks currently in Saudi stores. The unlikely proliferation of the Guy Fawkes mask in popular protest came as welcome surprise to its creator. Alan Moore, author of for Vendetta, told The Guardian, I suppose when was writing for Vendetta, would in my secret heart of hearts have thought: Wouldnt it be great if these ideas actually made an impact? So when you start to see that idle fantasy intrude on the regular world It peculiar. It feels like character created 30 years ago has somehow escaped the realm of fiction.