Anonymous Plans Day of Rage For Sandra Bland

As the organization that once targeted the Klu Klux Klan's Twitter accounts, it's unsurprising that Anonymous is now targeting Brian Encinia, the Texas trooper who arrested 28-year-old activist Sandra Bland. Picking up the cry of outrage that has swept the nation since Bland was found dead in her jail cell three days after being arrested, Anonymous is calling for Encinia to be taken into custody. To channel support for the arrest, Anonymous is sponsoring a national Day of Rage on August 8.

To say that this doesn't bode well for Encinia is an understatement. Anonymous, known for their online "hacktivism," has previously targeted government officials across the globe, as well as large corporations like Sony and Bank of America. On Tuesday, Anonymous released a video urging Encinia's arrest and threatened to expose the "lies" of the authorities and officials involved.

The video, which is set to N.W.A.'s "F*ck Tha Police," calls for the resignation of the Waller County district attorney, as well as the sheriff. "We, not as Anonymous but as citizens of the United States, are tired of the cycle of murders and coverups made by police departments across the nation," the video says. "If you do not take Brian Encinia into custody, we will come after all of you. All your secrets will be leaked. You will all be vulnerable. We all know where you live."

The Day of Rage, planned for August 8, will reportedly take place across the nation, and Anonymous asks for police chiefs to get involved as well. "We demand that each police chief at each protesting city to come out to the crowds and renew their pledge to protect the people they serve," the video says. Thus far there are several Day of Rage events scheduled on Facebook, including events in Wisconsin, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and New York City. In addition, Anonymous released a larger list of when and where Day of Rage events will be.

Anonymous, like many Bland supporters, believes that Waller County authorities are attempting "to mask a blatant act of crime against an innocent woman." In the aftermath of Bland's death, which has officially been ruled a suicide, multiple trending hashtags and social media movements started, such as #JusticeForSandy, and #WhatHappenedToSandraBland. Activists also capitalized on the existing #SayHerName movement, which advocates awareness for black women injured or killed by police. Anonymous had something to say about that, as well, stating, "We will not stand as Sandra’s death becomes another hashtag and then a statistic."

This is not the first Sandra Bland-related video that Anonymous has distributed. Earlier in July, they released a video titled "#SandraBland Was Murdered," which went through the various questions and theories surrounding her death, such as whether she was dead in her mugshot, why she was wearing orange, and if the police dashcam video had been edited.

On July 30, Anonymous posted video specifically geared toward the Waller County Sheriff's Department, promising a "gift" the night before the Day of Rage protests on social media using, #GiftFromWCSD. "Citizens across America have demanded the termination and arrest of Brian T. Encinia. You have yet to comply," Anonymous said. "By not complying you show lack of caring for the citizens of Waller County as well as the nation. You have been given plenty of warning of what is to come."

There's no specific word on what Anonymous plans to release, but they had one more piece of advice for the Waller County Sheriff's Department, "You should really keep a tighter security of your server data."

Image: AnonIntelGroup