Hacking Group ‘Anonymous’ Issues Threat to Minneapolis Police Department

REUTERS/YVES HERMAN
REUTERS/YVES HERMAN

A video allegedly made by the hacking group known as “Anonymous” has been published online in which a masked figure threatens to “expose” the Minneapolis Police Department.

The term “Anonymous” began to trend across social media this weekend, referring to the hacking group that became known in the early 2000s for its various cyberattacks against several governmental agencies, corporations, and the Church of Scientology.

Following the recent death of George Floyd which has sparked mass protests across the country, a Facebook page claiming to represent the hacking group Anonymous published a video for its 11 million followers in which the group addresses the Minneapolis Police Department directly.

In the video, a figure wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, which was notably worn by the lead character of the futuristic dystopian thriller V For Vendetta, addresses the camera stating: “Police brutality and murder is a widespread problem in the United States which has undoubtedly infected nearly every jurisdiction in the country, but the Minneapolis police department is among the worst and has a horrific track record of violence and corruption.”

As the masked figure speaks, multiple video clips appearing to show instances of police brutality are played. The figure claims that the recent death of George Floyd is just the “tip of the iceberg in a long list of high-profile cases of wrongful deaths at the hands of officers in your state.”

The figure further claims that over the course of the past two decades, 193 people have been killed by police in Minnesota. The figure then names the deaths of Jamar Clark, Philando Castile, Justine Damond, Thurmand Blevins, and Brian Quinones as examples of police brutality in the state of Minnesota.

Later in the video, the masked figure states: “Many people are now beginning to learn that you are not here to save us, but rather you are here to oppress us and carry out the will of the criminal ruling class. You are here to keep order for the people in control, not to provides safety for the people who are being controlled.”

The video ends with the figure stating: “We do not trust your corrupt organization to carry out justice, so we will be exposing your many crimes to the world. We are Legion! Expect us.”

The full video can be found on the Anonymous Facebook page here.

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