14 DAY TRIAL // Anonymous is planning a protest in New York City next month that will culminate with a sit-in on Wall Street. Similar protests are being prepared in big cities around the world.
The new campaign was announced from Anonymous' AnonOps Twitter account which linked to a poster that reads: "#OCCUPYWALLSTREET September 17th. Bring tent."
A related video message called on supporters to "flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months… Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices."
It seems the idea of this protest did not originate with the hacktivist collective, but with Adbusters Magazine, an anti-consumerism publication that already launched the S17 (September 17) campaign.
"Meanwhile S17 is surging ahead internationally. Simultaneous occupations of financial districts are now being planned in New York City, Madrid, Milan, London, Paris and San Francisco. With a bit of luck, this list of participating cities will expand," Adbusters writes.
"If we can pull together just the right mix of nonviolence, tenacity and strategic smarts, S17 could be the beginning of the global revolution we've all been dreaming about for so long … wouldn't that be lovely," it adds.
Anonymous is also preparing a march in London for October 15 which will start in Hyde Park and will end will end with the occupation of Parliament Square. A similar sit-in is also planned at the final destination, participants being encouraged to bring tents.
This seems to be a separate action organized by the UK Anonymous branch and uses the name Operation Unity. If Anonymous has decided to join the S17 moevement internationally, there might be multiple protests in London.
While the hacktivist group is more used to engaging in online actions, it is no stranger to real-life protests. Its most successful to date were organized back in 2008 during Operation Chanology.