Cyber activists associated with Anonymous have released a video in support of Scott Olsen, a Marine veteran who was critically injured during a controversial police crackdown against OccupyOakland protestors.
The 24-year-old Olsen – who served two tours of duty in Iraq – has since been upgraded from critical to fair, with doctors saying they expect him to make a full recovery.
“Scott Olsen, it has come to our attention that you have been critically [wounded] by the Oakland Police Department for standing up for the American peoples’ First Amendment Rights. The honor and courage you have displayed on the battlefield is only overshadowed by the cowardice and dishonor displayed by those who have committed these inhumane crimes against you.
“As you stand in solidarity with the people of the world, Anonymous stands in solidarity with you Scott. A bullet to the head of our brother is a bullet to the head of us all. We may not share the physical pain and hardships you are enduring, but know that we feel the emotional turmoil that comes along with this injury that being inflicted on you has been inflicted on all free Americans.”
As TG Dailypreviously reported, 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.
Oakland interim Police Chief Howard Jordan termed Olsen’s injury “unfortunate.”
“I wish that it didn’t happen,” Jordan said. “Our goal, obviously, is not to cause injury to anyone… We regret that this injury happened.”
Unsurprisingly, Anonymous remains unimpressed and has targeted the Oakland Police Department (OPD) along with other law enforcement agencies that participated in the crackdown against OccupyOakland protestors.
“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 group wrote in a recent communiqué.
“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.
