The so-called “hacktivist” group Anonymous has launched a YouTube video celebrating the riots in Anaheim over the shooting of Manuel Diaz, 25, by police. Diaz was unarmed, and police say he was a gang member. The video carried the following message:
Citizens of the world, we are Anonymous. The purpose of this video is clear; we want to inform the citizens of the world that the United States is setting the flames of revolution …
In Anaheim, police shot protesters and bystanders including kids who did nothing wrong. Anonymous are calling yet again to the citizens of the United States to rise up in unison and defeat this government, which values no lives, nor freedom. Do it for the safety of your families, your homes, and your future generations. The fate of America is in your hands. Do you wish to be oppressed further; or do you wish to obtain freedom and peace? The choice is yours. Let’s beat the drums of war. Operation Anaheim engaged. We are Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.
Anonymous has long pushed for popular uprising against authorities. And they seize on hot-button incidents in order to generate support for that uprising. The facts about the most recent Anaheim shooting have yet to be released, but lawyers for Diaz claim he wasn’t a gang member, and that the police officer who shot him was white. Look for Anonymous to lead the charge – and look for liberals, including politicians, to follow.