‼️🚨KICKED OUT OF FEDCON MILITARY RECRUITMENT CONFERENCE (aka @defcon @thedarktangent)🚨‼️ - for daring to raise our voice against war criminals and the rise of AI tech fascism.
20 years ago when I spoke at the DEFCON hacker conference it was "spot the fed". After years in prison for hacking charges related to Anonymous, I was excited to finally return - only to find it thoroughly run by feds and deeply enmeshed with the military industrial complex we fight against.
A disgusting display, the first hour's fascist fireside chat with DEFCON's Dark Tangent and General Paul Nakasone - a four star general and director of NSA and US CYBERCOMMAND until just last year. With DT saying "Go Army!" shamelessly recruiting for the military and praising AI imperialism as US bombs fall on Gaza - we had to take a stand. As they smugly took their final jello shots with so much blood on their hands, we shouted "War criminal!" "Free Palestine!" "This isn't a hacker conference - it's a military recruitment drive!"
For daring to speak out, we were aggressively kicked out by Las Vegas Convention Center security guards - who put hands on us, calling us homophobic slurs. No goons or anyone from DEFCON offered any discussion or due process. Shameful how Fedcon treats real hackers and freedom of speech. Hackers, take a stand against the military co-optation of our communities and the hacker ethic!
Jeremy Hammond