CLODO

The initialism 'CLODO', ( or Committee for Liquidation or Subversion of Computers) is also a slang term for 'bum' or 'homeless' in French. The use of the term "clodo" as an initialism is believed to be an intentional act of "self-irony" and followed a larger trend of anarchist groups using humorous names and acronyms. == History ==

CLODO began in 1980 in protest against increasing computerized surveillance by national governments and fears of increased oppression as computerization advanced. In May 1980, CLODO perpetrated an arson attack against International Computers Limited. In August 1980, CLODO carried out two failed attacks against CII Honeywell Bull's office in Louveciennes. The first attack involved a 5 kg (11 lb) explosive that failed due to a faulty detonator and the second attempt was defused prior to detonation. In March 1981, an IBM computer terminal at the Banque Populaire building in Toulouse was vandalized. While CLODO did not claim the attack, the newspaper Le Matin de Paris stated the attack was "reminiscent of the habits and customs of the deceased CLODO". A 1998 investigation of CLODO in ''Notes & études de l'Institut de criminologie de Paris'' did not attribute this attack to them. in January 1983, CLODO returned, detonating three explosive charges at the Computer Center of the Prefecture of Haute-Garonne. This resulted in 30 million francs in damages. In October 1983, CLODO set fire to the offices of U.S. computer manufacturer Sperry in protest of Reagan's invasion of Grenada. In total, seven rooms of the building were damaged and "Reagan attacks Grenada, Sperry a multinational accomplice" was found written inside a vandalized office. The attack was performed in the early morning and where members of CLODO broke into the building, piling flammable objects in an office before setting it on fire. The newspaper La Dépêche commented that CLODO was using increasingly aggressive means of carrying out their attacks, and claimed the arson attack could have resulted in casualties had a series of display cases not contained the blaze. In October 1983, following the attack against Sperry-Univac, CLODO sent a manifesto disguised as an interview to the French magazine Terminal 19/84; detailing their ideology and future plans. CLODO vandalized the National Cash Register building near Toulouse in December 1983, their last known attack. == Ideology ==

In their manifesto, CLODO detailed the motivations, ideologies, and ultimate goals of the organization, and was composed in a question-answer format. In the manifesto, when asked why they targeted computer companies, CLODO replied: "We are essentially attacking what these tools lead to: files, surveillance by means of badges and cards, instrument of profit maximization for the bosses and of accelerated pauperization for those who are rejected..." In their manifesto, CLODO believed that the current intentions of advancements in computing were the "dehumanization" of employment and were being used to impose Western ideals and economic domination on third world countries. In 1980, CLODO released a statement to the French media in which they explained their motives. It read, In their manifesto, CLODO would expand on their motivations and end goals, stating, Due to CLODO's use of the term détournement, it has also been speculated that CLODO may have had some relation to Situationist International. == Legacy ==

According to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, CLODO has not been active since 1983. In 2010, French author Celia Izoard retraced the history of the CLODO in a collective book on French luddism. In May 2022, Thomas Dekeyser and Andrew Culp released an experimental documentary named Machines in Flames. The film's content is centered on the directors' research into CLODO, with particular emphasis on the anonymity, known activities, ideology, and mystery surrounding the organization. The film concludes with a commentary on the directors' use of technology to research CLODO, drawing contrast between the directors' use of computers and the anti-computer sentiment of CLODO. == See also ==