Sacramento officials say they're aware of YouTube videos claiming to be from the hacker group Anonymous.
The videos warn that action will be taken against the city if officials don't halt enforcement of Sacramento's camping ban.
One video, posted Jan. 6, depicts a person in a Guy Fawkes mask stating that Sacramento has gotten the group's attention. The person says the group is asking the city to impose a 60-day moratorium on the ordinance while parties negotiate a solution.
The person in the video also states that if the city refuses the request, "we would bring the formidable talent of Anonymous to your city." The person does not specify what type of action would be taken.
Another YouTube video posted on Jan. 5, also claims to be from the group Anonymous. It contains the same message, but is on a different channel than the Jan. 6 video. The credibility of the videos is unclear. It's also unclear how they're connected. The Jan. 6 message was posted by the "Anonymous Legion" channel, which started in 2013 and has 1,809 subscribers. The Jan. 5 video was posted on the channel Anonymous Resistance with only 536 subscribers.
For the past month, members of the group Community Dinner Project have been camping out at City Hall to protest Sacramento's camping ordinance, which prohibits setting up camping gear in public and private property for consecutive nights. The protesters say the law harshly punishes the homeless population.
On Jan. 2, 49 officers raided the protesters camp and arrested several people. The group remained in the area however and at least two more arrests followed. The group's leader James "Faygo" Clark has started a hunger strike to protest the ban.
Both YouTube videos include footage posted by the Community Dinner Project on its social media pages of the arrests at the camp site.
A statement from the city says police are monitoring "security systems" to prevent or detect any threats.
According to the statement, Sacramento is "committed to supporting solutions that prevent and end homelessness." The statement also lists the city's efforts, including the allocation of $13.6 million annually to address homelessness.
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