Social media users assume the Minneapolis Police Department's website has been taken down by the group Anonymous, which two days earlier pledged to hold the city's police accountable for the death of African American man George Floyd. Floyd died after being detained by a number of local police officers.
#Anonymous has taken down the Minneapolis Police Server Down ✊🏾😭 pic.twitter.com/Z8kXBFW3Wm
— SooreOfSunshine (@oluwasem1lore) May 31, 2020
anonymous only comes out for urgent things and they’ve already disabled minneapolis police website this is a literal revolution pic.twitter.com/4QRxIW4KtM
— BLM | jeta (@sawayamass) May 31, 2020
oomf minneapolis police got shut down by anonymous L at least they got a notice 🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/dHldrGlrCX
— struggles (@anontwtstrugglz) May 31, 2020
International hacktivist group Anonymous, which has a notable record of carrying out cyberattacks against government websites, has released a video pledging justice for George Floyd who died Monday after being suffocated by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
THE ANONYMOUS SENT A MESSAGE TO THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT BUT YOUTUBE KEEPS REMOVING IT. SPREAD THIS LIKE WILDFIRE!! pic.twitter.com/71HsZkmbMg
— seokjin⁷ (@chimbootyy) May 30, 2020
"Officers who kill people and commit other crimes need to be held accountable just like the rest of us", the modified voice said in the video, continuing that otherwise, "they will believe that they have a license to do whatever they want".
Recalling past events, Anonymous noted that citizens are beginning to learn the police force is "not here to save us but rather you are here to oppress us and carry out the will of the criminal ruling class".
The group went on to vow to expose police corruption as one of their "many crimes" against the country and the rest of the world.
"We are legion. Expect us", Anonymous rounded off, stressing the world is starting to wake up to the sad reality and "they are becoming increasingly angry every time they see blood needlessly spilled without consequence".
A short while after the video started to make the rounds on the internet, the Minneapolis PD's website was taken down, sparking reactions among alert netizens. Some noted that the video is being deleted by YouTube, but continues to pop up:
YouTube keeps deleting this video. They’re censoring nothing but facts pic.twitter.com/9Q8NwbK8Xb
— MARIO//JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD (@HennyOnMyLips) May 30, 2020
The video was released as the protests against the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police escalated, with countless cases of violence all across the country by both the police and protesters being reported.
A number of large cities like Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami, Denver, etc. have declared curfews, while some states including Minnesota, Georgia, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio, and California have called in the National Guard to help disperse the protesting crowds.
