Million Mask March Takes L.A.
More than 50 people in Guy Fawkes masks stood, sat, paced and yelled on the steps of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles today. Each individual was there to take part in the worldwide Million Mask March organized by Anonymous, the hacker and online activist group known for its social justice campaigns. Despite the masks, the diversity of the group could be seen and heard. Men, women and children grouped on the steps. Skin varied in a spectrum of color. Accents flew across the board during chants.
Protesters in L.A. aired global and local injustices, and carried signs outlining their demands. Grievances ranged from police brutality, to human right violations, to water and air pollution.
The global event was organized as a platform for people to air their grievances against government in hundreds of cities around the world. Before today, the Los Angeles Anonymous group posted a press release to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Office outlining their intentions, and included a request for police to refrain from brutality during their peaceful protest.
“We are Anonymous, as you may know, we are conducting a worldwide movement against tyranny in Government. We wish to demonstrate our rights as American Citizens and gather on public ground to stand up against tyranny.”
“We wish to remain peaceful for the entirety of this event and the future to come. We offer this proposal, we will do everything in our power to stop any chaos from arousing among the people at this march and any instigation that may come from a Citizen to a Police Officer,” the group said in their statement.
The anarchist, anti-capitalist, pro-civil liberties rally in L.A. was peaceful, and though police had the City Hall steps taped off, no protester went close to the doors. Physical aggression between police and protesters during demonstrations on Guy Fawkes Day has been historical, and the London Telegraph has already reported three police injured and 32 arrests in the British capitol tonight.
This is the fourth year Anonymous has organized a worldwide protest rally.
