The Million Mask March, also known as "Operation Vendetta",[1][2][3] is a worldwide, annual protest associated with the hacktivist group Anonymous occurring annually on Guy Fawkes Day, 5 November. The motive for the March varies, but includes some consistent themes prevalent in the Anonymous movement, including: corruption in politics, demilitarization, police violence, and self-governance.[4] The marches are set in motion to allow ordinary citizens to collaborate in order to create societal change through alterations to their governments. They are coordinated through a host of channels with most prevalent being word of mouth and social media. Hundreds of Facebook events and dedicated Twitter accounts are used to advertise the protest around the world.[5]
Anonymous, originally a group of internet forum users, first came into political activism from its battle against Scientology, referred to as Project Chanology. This culminated in a worldwide protest outside of Scientology churches across the globe.[6]
The first Million Mask March occurred in 2012; the largest events occurred in London and Washington, DC, with smaller scale events across the globe, usually outside of government buildings.[7][8]
Protesters at the Million Mask March frequently wear versions of the Guy Fawkes mask in homage to the graphic novel V for Vendetta.[9] The costume references the novel, where the protagonist wages war against an authoritarian dystopia in the UK. In the film rendition, millions of masks are distributed to citizens who gather around the parliament.[citation needed]