Cyber activists associated with Anonymous have targeted the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and other law enforcement agencies that participated in a controversial crackdown against OccupyOakland protestors.
Police fired a number of tear gas canisters, concussion grenades, rubber bullets and non-lethal rounds at demonstrators on Tuesday night, drawing widespread condemnation for the use of heavy-handed tactics against unarmed civilians.
“Scott Olsen, who did two tours in Iraq, is in critical condition [subsequently upgraded to fair] with a fractured skull and brain injury after a cop shot him in the head with a ‘non-lethal’ weapon. A crowd of protesters were also deliberately hit with a flashbang while rendering first aid to an injured protester,” Anonymous wrote in a communiqué.
“These are among the most disturbing and criminal acts to be have been proven on the part of US police since NYPD officers were outed as having routinely planted drugs on suspects earlier this month. The time has come to retaliate against Oakland police via all non-violent means, beginning with doxing of individual officers and particularly higher-ups involved in the department’s conduct of late.”
As such, the group is asking supporters for assistance in doxing the OPD, while offering a $1,000 reward, “no questions asked,” for the name of the officer who threw a flashbang at the injured Iraqi vet.
It should be noted that Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has since issued a conciliatory statement about the police crackdown against OccupyOakland.
“I want to express our deepest concern for all of those who were injured, and we are committed to ensuring this does not happen again. Investigations of certain incidents are underway and I will personally monitor them,” Quan claimed in an official statement published Wednesday night.
“We understand and recognize the impact this event has had on the community and acknowledge what has happened. We cannot change the past, but we are committed to doing better. We support the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement: we have high levels of unemployment and we have high levels of foreclosure that makes Oakland part of the 99% too. We are a progressive city and tolerant of many opinions. We may not always agree, but we all have a right to be heard.”
