'People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people,' so goes the tagline of V for Vendetta, a comic book series written by Alan Moore that was made into a Hollywood film in 2006. Set in the near future, a mysterious revolutionary called 'V' is out to destroy the fascist government that now rules Britain. 'V', an anarchist revolutionary, dresses in a Guy Fawkes mask and cloak - Fawkes tried to blow up the English parliament in 1605 in the infamous gunpowder plot.
'V' begins an elaborate, violent, and intentionally theatrical campaign to bring down the government, and convince the people to rule themselves. In the film, 'V' is played by Australian actor Hugo Weaving. He rescues a young woman Evey (Natalie Portman) from the secret police, and she becomes his unlikely ally in his battle against the state.
Many political groups see the film as an allegory of government oppression; libertarians and anarchists have used it to promote their beliefs. As such, they use Guy Fawkes masks similar to that in the film when they appear in public high-profile events.