Guy Fawkes mask

Members of the group "Anonymous" wearing the mask in Los Angeles, 2008

The Guy Fawkes mask is a stylised depiction of Guy Fawkes, the best-known member of the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up the English Palace of Westminster in London in 1605. While the use of a mask on an effigy has long roots as part of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations, a stylised mask designed by illustrator David Lloyd came to represent broader protest after it was used as a major plot element in V for Vendetta, published in 1982, and its 2006 film adaptation. After appearing in internet forums, the mask was worn by participants in real-life protests and has become widespread internationally among groups protesting against politicians, banks and financial institutions, such as the Occupy movement.

The mask portrays a white face with a subtle smile and red cheeks, a wide moustache upturned at both ends, and a thin vertical pointed beard.

Origins

While the Gunpowder Plot was commemorated from early on with effigies of unpopular figures, towards the end of the 18th century reports appeared of children begging for money with masked effigies of Guy Fawkes, and 5 November gradually became known as Guy Fawkes Night.

The main character in the comic book series V for Vendetta, which started in 1982, and its 2006 film adaptation, wore a Guy Fawkes mask. The series, written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd is about a dystopian future United Kingdom. When developing the idea, Lloyd wrote a handwritten note: "Why don’t we portray him as a resurrected Guy Fawkes, complete with one of those papier-mâché masks, in a cape and a conical hat? He’d look really bizarre and it would give Guy Fawkes the image he’s deserved all these years. We shouldn’t burn the chap every Nov. 5th but celebrate his attempt to blow up Parliament!" Moore commented that, due to Lloyd's idea, "All of the various fragments in my head suddenly fell into place, united behind the single image of a Guy Fawkes mask."[1]

Use in protests

Protesters wearing "Guy Fawkes masks" at a protest against Scientology in London in 2008

Since the release in 2006 of the film V for Vendetta, the use of stylised "Guy Fawkes" masks, with moustache and pointed beard, has become widespread internationally among groups protesting against politicians, banks and financial institutions. The masks both conceal the identity of individuals and demonstrate their commitment to a shared cause.[2][3] The character developed as an internet meme, common on imageboards such as 4chan as well as on video-sharing based websites such as YouTube. Initially, a stick figure who failed at everything emerged and became known as "Epic Fail Guy" (EFG). This character was increasingly shown as wearing a V for Vendetta "Guy Fawkes" mask. It became associated with Anonymous's Project Chanology protests against the Church of Scientology in 2008, as their way protecting their identity from the Church of Scientology, who is known to harass critics. Scott Stewart of University of Nebraska at Omaha's The Gateway wrote: "Many participants sported Guy Fawkes masks to draw attention both to their identity as Anonymous and the Church of Scientology's abuse of litigation and coercion to suppress anti-Scientology viewpoints."[4] The internet-based group then adopted the character for its wider protests against authority.[5][6]

Alan Moore, anarchist and author of V for Vendetta, has supported the use of this mask, and stated in a 2008 interview with Entertainment Weekly, "I was also quite heartened the other day when watching the news to see that there were demonstrations outside the Scientology headquarters over here, and that they suddenly flashed to a clip showing all these demonstrators wearing V for Vendetta Guy Fawkes masks. That pleased me. That gave me a warm little glow."[7]

Graffiti of a Guy Fawkes mask painted on the facade of a building overlooking the Street Youth Day Center [[1]] in Montreal, Québec.

On 23 May 2009, protesters wearing the mask set off a fake barrel of gunpowder outside Parliament while protesting over the issue of British MPs' expenses.[8] During the 2011 Wisconsin protests, and then during the subsequent Occupy Wall Street and the ongoing Occupy movement, the mask appeared internationally[9] as a symbol of popular rebellion. In October 2011, campaigner Julian Assange attended the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest wearing such a mask, which he removed after a request by the police.[2] In January 2012, Guy Fawkes masks were used by protesters against Poland's signing of ACTA.[10] According to Time in 2011, the protesters' adoption of the mask has led to it becoming the top-selling mask on Amazon.com, selling hundreds of thousands a year. Time Warner, one of the largest media companies in the world, is paid a fee with the sale of each mask, as it owns the rights to the image.[11]

David Lloyd, V for Vendetta illustrator and co-creator, is quoted as saying, "The Guy Fawkes mask has now become a common brand and a convenient placard to use in protest against tyranny – and I'm happy with people using it, it seems quite unique, an icon of popular culture being used this way. The book is about one man bringing down the state but the film includes a scene of a huge crowd – making a statement against a faceless corporation. The masks were useful for the Scientology protests because it prevented individuals from being recognised ... We knew that V was going to be an escapee from a concentration camp where he had been subjected to medical experiments but then I had the idea that in his craziness he would decide to adopt the persona and mission of Guy Fawkes – our great historical revolutionary."[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Masks of Guy Fawkes
  1. ^ "Behind The Painted Smile" Essay by Alan Moore (On the Creation of "V for Vendetta"), http://www.freewebs.com/vforvendettagallery/BehindTheSmile/behindthesmile.htm, retrieved 25 November 2011 
  2. ^ a b c Waites, Rosie (2011-10-20). "V for Vendetta masks: Who's behind them?" (in British English). London, UK: BBC News. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. http://www.webcitation.org/64rk7UrSO. Retrieved 2012-01-21. 
  3. ^ Montes, Euclides (2011-09-10). "The V for Vendetta mask: a political sign of the times" (in British English). The Guardian (London, UK: Guardian Media Group). ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. http://www.webcitation.org/64rkbRM4a. Retrieved 2012-01-21. "Not only does wearing a Guy Fawkes mask at demonstrations give protesters anonymity, it's an instant symbol of rebellion" 
  4. ^ Stewart, Scott (March 25, 2008). "Cyberterrorism, hacktivism: Trying to find hope: Anonymous fights Co$ while Chinese launch cyber attacks on human rights groups". The Gateway (University of Nebraska at Omaha). http://media.www.unogateway.com/media/storage/paper968/news/2008/03/25/Opinion/Cyberterrorism.Hacktivism.Trying.To.Find.Hope-3280779.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 
  5. ^ John S. Forrester (11 February 2008), Dozens of masked protesters blast Scientology church. Web-based foes guard IDs, assert risk of retribution, The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/11/dozens_of_masked_protesters_blast_scientology_church/ 
  6. ^ "V for vague: Occupy Sydney's faceless leaders, Glenda Kwek, October 14, 2011"]. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2011-10-14. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/v-for-vague-occupy-sydneys-faceless-leaders-20111014-1loy6.html. 
  7. ^ Gopalan, Nisha (2008-07-21). "Alan Moore Still Knows the Score!". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20213067_20213068_20213004_5,00.html. Retrieved 2010-09-24. 
  8. ^ "Flashmob protest at MPs' expenses, BBC.com news report, Saturday, 23 May 2009 16:49 UK"]. BBC News. 2009-05-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8065335.stm. Retrieved 2010-09-24. 
  9. ^ "V for vague: Occupy Sydney's faceless leaders, Glenda Kwek, October 14, 2011". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2011-10-14. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/v-for-vague-occupy-sydneys-faceless-leaders-20111014-1loy6.html. 
  10. ^ http://sg.news.yahoo.com/poland-signs-copyright-treaty-drew-protests-102302237.html
  11. ^ Carbone, Nick (2011-08-29). "How Time Warner Profits from the 'Anonymous' Hackers". Time. http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/08/29/how-time-warner-profits-from-the-anonymous-hackers/. Retrieved 2011-08-30.