The DUP website was briefly hacked tonight before being taken offline.
Soon after, PeterRobinson.org and JeffreyDonaldson.org were given a similar makeover.
For anyone needing translation of the (most likely criminal) defacement of their homepages, the message reads
Irish Now.
My name is Peter Robinson and I supported the Irish Language Act.
A country without a language, is a country without a soul.
Going by the name Hector Ó Hackatdawn and describing himself as “a computer science graduate, Irish language activist, and political hacker”, the culprit explained:
My motivation is to highlight the nonsensical agenda against the Irish language by the DUP. Their qualms with it are almost comical.
A longer faux press release from the same hacker can still be viewed on a mirror site. In this longer article, he begins
Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léir. [Happy New Year to you all.] This is a public service announcement on behalf of the DUP.
and goes on to apologise for the actions of various past and present DUP representatives, announced that the DUP “have decided to end our childish and archaic mindset towards the Irish language” and humbly apologises for championing Ulster Scots over Irish, before finishing with statements about Iraq and Israel.
The main DUP website is now up again, and a DUP spokesman stated:
The DUP website was off-line for a short period on Wednesday evening due to malicious activity. The police are investigating the matter.
Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic and political events and conferences. He delivers social media training/coaching; produces podcasts and radio programmes; is a FactCheckNI director; a member of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland; and a member of the Corrymeela Community.
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