Justice

Anonymous Just Declared War on Flint's Water Crisis

January 21st 2016

The hacktivist collective known as Anonymous responded to the water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday, calling for a criminal investigation into the role of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.

opflintAnonymous Intelligence Group - anonintelgroup.com

In a statement released by an Anonymous-affiliated account, the group blamed Snyder and the media for ignoring the public health issue for over a year. A person who claims to be a representative of Anonymous outlined the group's concerns in a video uploaded to YouTube.

RELATED: You Need To Know About Flint, Michigan's Water Problem

"For over a year now the citizens of Flint, Michigan have been subjected to drinking tap water filled with lead and other poisons," the statement read. "Over 3,000 children residing in Flint have been diagnosed with lead poisoning and other contaminated water illnesses. This issue went unreported by the mainstream media for entirely too long."


ATTN: was unable to independently verify the number of children poisoned by the contaminated water supply. However, Michigan’s chief medical executive, Eden Wells, said that more than 8,600 children who drank the city’s water have been exposed to lead. Flint Mayor Karen Weaver declared a state of emergency in the city in light to the public health crisis, warning that lead poisoning could cause "irreversible" damage to children in Flint.

Anonymous conceded that it, too, was late in starting #OpFlint (Operation Flint), but emphasized that it would help amplify the voices of Flint residents and continue to raise attention to the issue. In the video, the Anonymous member stated that Snyder and other city officials would be held accountable for alleged criminal offenses. It did not offer specific details about the group's plan of attack, however.

RELATED: This Is What the Water in Flint, Michigan Looks Like

"We feel that there currently exists enough evidence to arrest Governor Snyder for either voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, and that a full scale investigation into the Flint Water crisis and a criminal trial will yield the information that will send governor Snyder to prison," the statement continued. "We encourage the city of Flint to be vocal and demand that Governor Snyder face criminal charges. Anonymous will stand beside you."

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