Look at a photo or news clip from around the world of Occupy protests and you'll likely spot many of the demonstrators wearing masks of a cartoon-like man with a pointy beard, closed-mouth smile and mysterious eyes.
"They're very meaningful masks," said one demonstrator, "It's not about bombing anything; it's about being anonymous - and peaceful."
Another protestor said that the mask "is about being against The Man - the power that keeps you down."
The mask is a stylized version of Guy Fawkes, an Englishman who tried to bomb the British Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605. But history books didn't lead to the mask's popularity: the 2006 Warner Brothers movie"V for Vendetta" did.
The actual historical facts behind Guy Fawkes notoriety remains unknown to the young (and older) protestors whose knowledge of history is limited to YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, DVD's and motion pictures.
These protestors may just as well have been wearing Timothy McVeigh masks!
Just a few facts to set the record straight. Today is November 5th, and our cousins across the pond are celebrating "Guy Fawkes Day" or "Bonfire Night" in celebration of the failed "Gunpowder Plot" of 1605.
After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer.
A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics. Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists.
To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.
But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th.
The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators.
Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.
Even for the period which was notoriously unstable, the Gunpowder Plot struck a very profound chord for the people of England. In fact, even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year, on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays, the Queen and Parliament still observe this tradition.
On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year in Britain with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.
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