A few days ago, an unverified YouTube video appearing to be from the group Anonymous was released stating that Friday, July 15 at 7 p.m. would be a national “Day of Rage,” or #DayofSolidarity, in response to the recent shootings of black men, with protests sprouting up around the country. The group Anonymous has partnered with the Black Lives Matter movement in the past, allowing this call to action seem legitimate, and scaring countless people. Though the video claimed the protests would be peaceful, any day of protest known as “Day of Rage,” or any protest in general, has a change of turning violent, whether from the protestors or the police. These protests were to occur in 37 cities throughout the United States, including cities such as Chicago and Boston, and police geared up for these possibly aggressive demonstrations.
This summer I am living in Boston, not too far from the alleged protest site. Hearing of this “Day of Rage” from multiple sources, my friends and I prepared ourselves for the worst, making it a point to stay away from the site where the protests were supposed to take place, fearing that someone, whether police officer, bystander, or protestor, would get hurt. We feared that what happened last week in Dallas could happen again on a larger scale. These “Day of Rage” rumors were not credible, nor had any firm backing, as the video was not released on Anonymous's official channel, but the threat of such a widespread, possibly violent demonstration struck fear in the hearts of many.
As 7 p.m. came on Friday, police were prepared to put an end to any destruction or violence and people were safely in their homes, staying away from the protest sites. However, no demonstrations manifested. Not a single one of the 37 cities had a violent, or non-violent, protest. This rumor of "hactivist" organization Anonymous calling for a day of collective rage was identical to one that went around in 2014 surrounding the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
When I realized that this “Day of Rage” was a hoax, I was instantly relived. No one would get hurt while fighting for equality and what they believe in, and no one would get hurt while attempting to protect and serve. While protests are important to the Black Lives Matter movement and it is important to get this message of equality out there, violent protests are counterintuitive and, quite frankly, hypocritical. Using violence and destruction to promote peace and equality makes you part of a problem, not the solution. People persecuting police officers and destroying shops are not assisting the cause, but are rather hurting it. The only way for us to get anything done and to achieve this so desired peace and equality is to come together, not fall apart. We need to realize that we are all the same and that we are all in this crazy world together.
