Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
the Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent to blow up King and Parliament.

Three score barrels were laid below to prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s mercy he was catch’d with a dark lantern and lighted match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Nov. 5 is a British holiday dedicated to the brutal killing of Guy Fawkes, but its fame has spread worldwide. Activist groups have taken up the spirit of Fawkes’ 17th century fight and have applied it to what they call modern-day injustices by large organizations.

David Lloyd and Alan Moore created V for Vendetta, a graphic novel that featured a vigilante superhero who wore a mask with a caricature of Fawkes. A 2006 movie by the same…