May First/People Link is being attacked in a Denial of Service attack that is unprecedented in its length and viciousness. We have been fighting off this attack for over three weeks now.
We are convinced that the attack is political. We know how the attackers are targeting us, we know they are targeting the entire organization’s systems and we know that they are carefully monitoring our responses because they are quickly adapting to every move our technologists make to return us to service.
We know they are sophisticated and capable. We do not know who they are and, while this started with our defending of our member The National Network of Abortion Funds (which was under DOS attack), we can’t be sure why precisely they are attacking us. In the end, however, that is not the important issue.
Both the United States and Mexico (as is true of the entire world) are in profound, irreversible crisis. Fierce struggles are taking place. The rulers of our countries are searching for some strategy of self-protection and all their strategies will make people’s lives much harder. Repression is common and attacks on the resistance movements are more frequent.
To resist that, our movements need the Internet and answering that need is our mission as an organization. May First has been the organization that combines actual technology service with the kind of activism that holds tech anc communications issues up. While we are not the only organization in the coalitions we work in, we are the only one with actual technology service experience. While we are not the only alternative provider, we are the one most active in concrete movement work around these issues.
The disappearance of May First would constitute a huge blow to our movements of struggle. We do not intend to allow that to happen.
Our technologists will not allow it. They have worked day and night for weeks fighting off this attack and keeping us on-line. They have forgone vacations, weekends and very often sleep to keep us functional.
Our members will not allow it. Throughout the difficulties and crippled communications they have had to endure, our members have remained strong, committed and supportive. We have not had any member loss as a result of this attack and that, perhaps, is our greatest victory.
Finally, our Leadership Committee will not allow it. We have been in constant consultation and held emergencies meetings about these attacks, made several decisions about it, executed an effective members and movement communications program to keep people up to date and have just approved yet another additional layer of protection for our organization.
We think that attack is going to be the normal for us from now on. We are ready for that. Our enemies should know that successful resistance to those attacks, protection of our members services and data and constant outreach to our movement with innovative alternatives is our normal
This is a battle we need to win and we intend to do just that.
On behalf of our entire organization, we thank all our movement allies for your critically important support and the opportunity to continue working with you.
The Leadership Committee
May First/People Link
237 Flatbush Ave, #278
Brooklyn, NY 11217
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