“This video is an idea — a shared idea — so listen very carefully, and make sure you’re sitting down.”
The warning was given in activist coalition Anonymous’ most recent video declaration, a call for advocates around the world to rally on Nov. 5 and a warning to government officials that their facilities will be targeted and their secured websites will be hacked.
Anonymous is preparing for a Nov. 5 global day of hacking, global protests and acts of civil disobedience, calling on all people to prepare for what it is considering a day of widespread resilience in the face of global tyranny.
The video, “The Lion Sleeps No More,” warns officials that government buildings around the world will be targeted in acts of civil disobedience by free-thinking members of society who are rallying around the social and ecological issues facing not only the U.S., but every government throughout world.
“Governments of the world, take this message as your will and testament,” the video states. “The game is officially over. Social media has given birth to something new. Now it’s time to set the record straight. This video was intended as that spark that gets delivered straight into the hearts and minds of the world.”
This isn’t the first time Anonymous has capitalized on Nov. 5, a historically symbolic date of resistance based on the 1605 failed attempt to blow up London’s House of Lords. Last year, adorned in masks that depict the common interpretation of Fawkes, Anonymous called for a global day of hacking and resistance. They were successful, but not to the extent they desire for the upcoming day of action.
On Nov. 5, 2012, government and financial websites around the world were hacked, including Australian government sites and Argentina’s government bank. In the U.S., Trapwire, which produces security cameras, was the target of the hacktivist coalition, which chose the company based on its key role in practices that Anonymous claims violate Americans’ right to privacy.
This year, preparing months in advance and utilizing social media to drum up support, Anonymous is calling for an event of epic proportions, one that will serve as a historic day of global solidarity among those who are fighting different, yet similar, battles in their own countries.
“The time for global civil disobedience is now. This time it seems unions around the world are also supporting this action,” the video states. “The lion sleeps no more. Ask yourself this: Where will you be when we make history? Nov. 5, 2013 — worldwide, now it’s a vendetta, now it’s personal. Now it’s time to occupy everywhere. It’s time to throw everything we have at Nov. 5. It’s time to relight the flame of protest until our demands are met.”
Twitter is largely being used as an organizational tool for Nov. 5 preparations. Using the hashtag #NOV5TH, users have already begun to spread the video message and information regarding local protests.