June 2020 Coup Against the Willemstan Government
This article was last updated on: December 16th 2022
A propaganda of the Willemstan Wallpaper.
"The server was taken over by other people who had gotten through the very low low security of SuS Premium."
- Charlie Nolan in the Willemstan documentary on the security breach that allowed the coup to succeed.
"That was badass dude... I thought it was the coolest shit that our fake country had an actual rebellion. Because normally with Discord the power structure is very set in stone, you're untouchable. But I actually had consequences for my actions."
- Sean Kavanagh in the Willemstan documentary on the coup against him.
Lore
The June 2020 Coup, or simply "The Coup" as it is known among Willemstan members, was a rebellion against the Willemstan Government that occured on June 16th 2020. Conducted by two members of Willemstan, it was a decisive revolt over in a matter of minutes. These members were Eli Payton, a former Dictator of Willemstan, and Malcolm Hollingworth, a longtime member of Willemstan who had previously ran for Dictator in several elections. To date, The Coup is the only successful rebellion conducted against the Willemstan Government, and remains one of the most famous events in Willemstan history.
The Coup sparked the Willemstan Civil War, a month long "conflict" between the Willemstan Reactionaries and Willemstan Nationalists. Directly following the coup, Eli established the Construction Crew, a new administration dedicated to rebuilding the server by reorganizing it and drafting a new governing document. These reforms were known as Willemstan 1.2, and largely undid what Sean Kavanagh's administration accomplished in his first Dictatorship. Despite this transfer of power, the Summer 2020 Election never occurred, as Eli proclaimed his coup to be a valid transfer of leadership due to its proximity to the planned election. However, in return, he promised not to run for the following Winter 2020 Election.
The Coup
The first sign that a coup was taking place was when Eli posted a gif in the #announcements chat on June 16th. Shortly after, President Sean Kavanagh was stripped of his power, along with Charlie Nolan, who was basically an admin at the time. They had no time to react to the coup at all. Eli was now the owner of the Willemstan Discord Server, and thus became the de-facto Dictator of Willemstan. This was the first successful rebellion against the Willemstan Government, as it was proceeded by an unsuccessful revolt earlier that year. Eli was able to take control of the server because Malcolm he had access to Sean's Discord token, which he used to enter Sean's account and pass server ownership to Eli, granting him full control over Willemstan. Malcolm was able to obtain Sean's Discord Token through a security vulnerability in SuS Premium.
The Willemstan Discord Server's audit logs, which show the transfer of ownership (thanks to the token theft), kicking of SuS, and more.
Reasons Behind the Coup
The coup was fueled by the Willemstan public's discontent over the Willemstan 1.1 reforms. The reforms had completely stalled the Summer 2020 Willemstan Election, as it divided the already small popular vote into small states. As a result, states were just unable to vote for governors because only one or two people would vote. Without governors, the election could not proceed. Some states, such as State #1, didn't even vote until a month later because nobody in that state was active in the server.
The second reason was the personal grievances of Willemstan members. Many of the former admins were unhappy that they had their status taken away because of the Willemstan 1.1 reforms. Malcolm was generally unhappy and was waiting for the right moment to take control. The discontent caused by the vastly unpopular reforms were perfect excuse for a radical uprising.
An announcement made on June 17th by Eli, announcing Sean's rule was finished.
Reaction & Speculation by Government Officials
Despite the coup concluding at 10:53pm of June 16th, the government did not become aware of it until 12:09am of June 17th. Sean, Charlie, and Ian began speculating on how the coup could have occured in the System IV group chat. Their speculation was nearly correct.
Initial reaction by the creators of System IV (Sean, Charlie, & Ian).
Speculation.
Eli Payton Interview
This interview was conducted on June 18th of 2020 between Ian Hampton and Eli P. It is unedited and all of the dialog are direct quotes.
Ian: Question #1: You had previously ran for Dictator but ultimately gave the nomination up to your cat. What motivated you to seek power this time?
Eli: I felt that the server was taking a turn against the original Willemstan's creation, and it needed fixing. The government seemed to be killing the server and undid a lot of what myself and others in the founding of the server started. It felt like a slap in the face and we needed to revamp the system.
Ian: Question #2: Now that you have removed the barriers preventing the election from occurring, do you plan on having the Summer 2020 Election? Why or why not?
Eli: I feel that there could be an election, but it most likely not happen. The coup has happened so close to the original date of the election that i feel we should save the elections for winter as the new changes should be set in stone at that time and people will be more used to how the government is now, as it could change with a new dictator. I do not plan to be permanent dictator, as being at the top doesn't really matter if there is no one else there. Having power is only good if you use it well, and i feel that i may not be using it as effectively as others could.
Ian: Will you seek reelection for the Winter 2020 Term then?
Eli: Unless people want me to, probably not
Ian: Question #3: What are your plans with the Willemstan Nationalists? Are they enemies of the state, considering the civil war?
Eli: They could be considered that way, but i don't see them as needed to be dealt with immediately. It could lead to some easy divides for events and other such activities, but i doubt they will stay for very long
Ian: Do you plan on keeping Sean Kavanaugh, who was an elected president, completely removed from power?
Eli: No, i don't think he was a bad dictator in the slightest, he just had bad influences from some of his "cabinet members" that i wont specifically name but i feel that he could earn full dictatorial status in the future if he desires.
Ian: Question #4: Are you concerned that the coup has set a dangerous precedent for the future? Do you think the citizens of Willemstan have the right to overthrow a Dictator/President?
Eli: If the people have the means and do not agree with the government, id say so. The dictator is an elected position, like the president in the good ol' US of A, and the people should be able to "impeach" or something of the sort if they don't agree.
Ian: Final Question: What are your plans for the future of Willemstan? Do you plan on passing any additional reforms / legislation?
Eli: At this early in my dictatorship (again), i cant think of any, but most likely ill add some or change the laws to be more lenient. The future of Willemstan lies in the people, and if the people want something different than what we have set up, i am totally fine with that. My only hope is that they will give good reason to erasing the work of their past leaders and respect people for who they are.
Malcolm Hollingworth Interview
This interview was conducted on June 18th of 2020 between Ian H. and Malcolm H. It is unedited and all of the dialog are direct quotes.
Ian: Question #1: How did you get Sean's Discord token?
Malcolm: Back in Feb, 2020 I found a file in SuS Premium called tokens.txt
Ian: So what motivated you to sit on that information until now?
Malcolm: I didn't really have a use for it until after the reforms so I just left it alone
Ian: Question #2: Why did you give the token to Eli? Why didn't you take sever ownership for yourself?
Malcolm: If I took ownership everyone would jump ship and leave and Eli has had success before
Ian: Question #3: Are you concerned that the coup has set a dangerous precedent for the future? Do you think the citizens of Willemstan have the right to overthrow a Dictator/President?
Malcolm: It could, depending on who tries to overthrow the Dictator/President. There are situations where the citizens should be able to take control, but there should be some sort of regulation surrounding the process
Malcolm: is that it?
Ian: Sorry I was making popcorn. Last question: Would you do it again?
Malcolm: yes
Malcolm: easily
Malcolm: if i had the option to, and if they were corrupt