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Mounties, flics, cops snap on bracelets after Québec hacktivism

Allô, allô, allô - qu'est-ce que tout cela est, eh?

Six alleged hacktivists have been arrested in Canada following a series of attacks on Quebec government websites.

Neither the identity of the suspect nor information on the site they targeted or why have been released by tight-lipped Canadian authorities.

Five police forces - including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Sûreté du Québec, and three municipal forces - carried out a series of raids that led to the arrests. Three of those arrested were minors. Police declined to say whether the suspects were part of Anonymous, citing the need to preserve the integrity of an ongoing investigation, Canadian Press news agency reports.

The Québec government has earned the ire of Anonymous over recently enacted anti-protest laws. The province's education and Montreal police department websites were hacked in a series of attacks last month. The website of the provincial Liberal party also became a target in the same set of denial of service assaults.

Hacktivists also managed to get their hands on the personal details of spectators attending the Formula One car-race in Montreal before sending somewhat threateningly worded emails warning motor racing fans of possible trouble.

"If you intend to use a car, know that your road may be barricaded," the 'Notice to Grand Prix Visitors' emailed by Anonymous warned.

"If you want to stay in a hotel, know that we may enter it. If you seek to withdraw money from a bank, know that the shattering glass may sting. If you plan on watching a race, know that your view may be obscured, not by exhaust fumes but by the smoke of the fires we set. Know that the evacuation order may not come fast enough."

Police created barriers blocking access to certain public places or detained people suspected of planning to disrupt the 10 June Grand Prix, allowing the event to proceed normality while sparking some criticism from civil liberties activists over an allegedly heavy-handed approach towards dealing with dissent. ®

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