DDoS, Teenagers and Laws

In my country, the police arrested two teenagers for their part in the DDoS of sites by the flock Anonymous in response to the arrest of Assange, the freezing of accounts, and the denial to host Wikileaks. It's a bit of a bullshit game with an ignorant police showing their muscle against cyber-game playing teenagers. I find it laughable to pick on teenagers for what can only be considered silly pestering games and am a bit appalled by the media coverage of it.

What interests me is whether a DDoS 'attack' is actually a crime or can be seen as a valid means of cyber protest. Despite the war-games like rhetorics such as "Low Orbit Ion Cannon," "Operation Payback," and "Fire in the Hole!", there is no breaking and entering of digital goods, no theft of information. Instead, a machine is hindered in doing its job, the processing of information.

But that is pretty normal in a democratic protest. It's entirely equivalent to laying in front of train moving nuclear material, taking part in a picket line in front of a bank, or bothering office employees by protesting through making lots of noise.

I am not sure about (Dutch) law here. But, it seems ridiculous to condemn teenagers to jail for normal democratic processes.

(One of the kids was on the radio; of course, he claimed a similar defense.)