FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Railway Alert Network (RAN) Security Information Product: UPDATE 1 - Anonymous “Call to Action” Against Police Brutality July 14, 2016 Executive Summary: The loosely organized cyber hacking group Anonymous has posted a video online calling for protest action nationwide in support of Black Lives Matter (BLM). This call to action is intended to support protests against recent police shootings of two AfricanAmerican men in separate incidents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The Anonymous-affiliated statement condemns rioting and violence and calls for peaceful public demonstrations through civil disobedience that highlights the right to protest. Significantly, the 37 protest locations identified in Anonymous’ call to action appear to be copied from a list posted in an August 2014 call for “Day of Rage” protests in the aftermath of the shooting by a police officer of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. - Then the call attributed to Anonymous for a “Day of Rage” proved to be false. Hashtags reportedly associated with the Day of Solidarity include: #DayOfRage, #DayOfSolidarity, #BlackLivesMatter, and #DayOfAction. Anonymous further claims that its supporters have conducted cyber attacks against the St. Anthony, Minnesota, and Baton Rouge Police Departments. - This claim contends that these attacks compromised sensitive information, which the group threatens to release. - There has not been confirmation that the cited cyber attacks actually occurred as claimed. As of 6:00 am Eastern time on July 14, Black Lives Matter had not issued an official statement on the purported “Day of Solidarity.” - Several social media accounts affiliated with the movement have retweeted the Anonymous call for protests. Appendix B to this message lists the 37 locations cited in the Anonymous call for protests. - Analysis has identified 11 called for sites in the vicinity of railroad infrastructure. - Neither railroads nor railroad police are referenced in the video and social media posts on the “Call to Action” on July 15. - However, awareness enables monitoring for activity of potential safety and security concern. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Detailed Discussion: On July 9, 2016, a YouTube video titled “Emergency Response: July 15th – Day of Action (#FridayofSolidarity) was published on ‘TheAnonMessage’ YouTube account, supporting the upcoming protests on July 15, 2016. - The video, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEWtsSffvQg, has been viewed approximately 250,000 times since it was published. On July 13, 2016, at approximately 3:00 pm Eastern time, a video titled “Anonymous – CALL TO ACTION (Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile Shootings)” with much more quality in its presentation was posted on the ‘Official Anonymous’ YouTube account, demonstrating additional online support for protests scheduled for this Friday. - Over 900,000 subscribe to the ‘Anonymous Official’ YouTube site. - Over 2,000 views occurred in just 10 minutes of the video’s posting. - Interestingly, the Anonymous video posted was pulled off the main YouTube website and made inaccessible in ‘private’ mode. Shortly after, a similar YouTube video with the same title was published on the ‘Anonymous’ YouTube account with only 1,438 subscribers, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BMI9I1bLUk. - Under 250 views have occurred since its post online. While the visual content and quality of the videos varies, the published transcripts are the same. A transcript of the statements made on the final version of the video posted to a YouTube site affiliated with Anonymous is provided below at Appendix A to this message. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Analysis: The lack of central support for the “Call to Action” protests since the Pastebin post on July 9, 2016, has likely limited online interest and may diminish protest support. The amorphous, decentralized online network Anonymous is comprised of ambiguously defines much of the potential support protest activity – to include locations – and indicates plans are not well coordinated. - Different Twitter users adopting the name of Anonymous have listed locations for action that differ from list to list and individual to individual. - For example, different user calling for actions at different locations in Baltimore: Locations Listed for #FridayofSolidarity PasteBin @CovertAnonymous @anony_morph Ferguson X Baton Rouge X Falcon Heights X St Paul X Dallas X Baltimore (no address) X Baltimore (McKeldin Square) Baltimore (201 E Pratt St) - - X X X The protest locations mentioned online by additional online presence @CovertAnonymous or @anony_morph that were not included in the PasteBin list are all places where recent or prominent events involving police and violence have taken place. This lends further weight to the possibility that Twitter users claiming to speak for Anonymous are encouraging action in cities where they desire to see actions rather than following a coordinated plan. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY In addition, there was an overarching lack of confirmation the Pastebin post was made by the more mainstream Anonymous-affiliated sites until July 13, 2016, diminishing retweets on Twitter and resulting in numerous responses communicating disbelief of the upcoming protest events’ legitimacy. An article posted on July 12, 2016 on Snopes.com at http://www.snopes.com/2016/07/11/anonymous-day-of-rage-protests-2016/ asserted that the call for protests on Pastebin are a “false rumor that circulated in 2014.” The author of the Snopes.com article correctly maintained that the Pastebin post on July 9 mirrors information from a previous Pastebin post on August 19, 2014, that called for a “Nationwide Day of Rage” on August 21, 2014. Both Pastebin posts- Claim to be authored by Anonymous; - Maintain the exact same date, time, and locations of proposed protests; and - Rally for justice against “police brutality.” Furthermore, the “Day of Rage” in August of 2014 reportedly did not receive much protest support, perpetuating the perception of an overarching lack of legitimacy. That being said, there is a drastic uptick in numbers of views for the more recent content on upcoming protests, indicating a current, underlying motivation by many to, at the very least, view the content. - Over 34,554 views have registered in the past four days on the July 9, 2014, Pastebin post versus the sum total of 113,446 views on the August 2014 Pastebin post. The increased number of recent online views of the upcoming “Day of Action” protests does not necessarily correlate to the level of participants that may physically participate in protests near railroad property. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY However, perceptions by activists online may lend insight into participants’ potential activities. - Anonymous-affiliated posts clearly state intentions to conduct a “day of action” with protesters “flooding the streets at strategic locations” to participate in “civil disobedience” against “corrupt officers.” - The statement by accounts claiming to be Anonymous “calling upon the citizens of the United States to rise up and stand in solidarity with the people of Dallas, Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, as well as Baltimore and Ferguson” implies a wider range of protest locations may occur in designated cities. Analysis of the 37 locations cited in the “Call to Action” on July 15 shows that 11 are in reasonable proximity to railroad infrastructure. - Appendix B to this message lists all the locations and provide satellite map imagery of those planned in the vicinity of railroad infrastructure. Significantly, neither this new “Call to Action,” nor the protest activity in the aftermath of the incidents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Falcon Heights, Minnesota, has cited railroad police or railroad facilities or operations as targeted areas. - In some instances, notably in Baton Rouge, the sites of protests have been near railroad tracks, raising public safety concerns and the potential for delays in train operations. As such, advance notification to railroad police and security officials of announced protest locations near railroad infrastructure enables prudent precautions, notably coordination with local law enforcement and monitoring of activities to mitigate risk to the protesters, train crews, and public safety generally. Updates will follow as relevant developments and further reporting warrant. Acknowledgement: The Railway Alert Network (RAN) gratefully acknowledges the efforts of special agents with multiple Class I railroads’ police department whose initiative and insights contributed substantially to the development of this awareness message. Distribution: (U) Please feel free to disseminate this message, and to use all or portions of its content, as you deem most appropriate to inform situational awareness throughout your respective railroads and industry organizations. (U) You may also share this information with colleagues in local and State law enforcement, State fusion centers, and Federal security and law enforcement agencies. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Association of American Railroads Railway Alert Network FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY This information is intended for security and law enforcement personnel in the railroad industry, security partners in Federal, State, and local government agencies, intelligence analysts, military commanders and staffs, and other officials with a need to know. Copies or discussion of this material will not be further disseminated outside of receiving organizations without the prior approval of the ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN RAILROADS, which may be granted for specific audiences in the content of this message. This information is voluntarily submitted to the Federal Government in expectation of protection from disclosure as provided by the provisions of the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY APPENDIX A Transcript of the Final Anonymous YouTube Video July 13, 2016 0:18 World. We are anonymous. 0:21 Early morning on Tuesday, July 5th, Alton Sterling was fatally shot four times in the chest by police in Baton Rouge Louisiana. He was unarmed. 0:29 On Wednesday, July 6th, we witnessed a second shooting live on Facebook. 0:38 Another man, Philando Castile, was shot four times in the arm after being stopped by St. Anthony police for a broken tail light. He notified the officers that he did have a concealed weapon in his possession as he was reaching for his identification. Philando Castile was a cafeteria supervisor at his school. The students considered him a good friend. He was killed in front of his daughter and his girlfriend. 1:08 On July 7th, we collectively witnessed the deaths of five officers they had nothing to do with the deaths of either Philando or Alton. 1:13 While we cannot agree with the official accounts of the Dallas Police Department in the theory that there was only one shooter are involved, 1:20 We can agree that this was a heinous incident that has no place in our fight for justice and equality. While we do to honor these following officers, we will not be discouraged. We will not stop until the officers responsible for the deaths of both Alton Sterling and Philando Castile prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 1:41 We will not submit to another failure of the judgment by those who have failed to indict Darren Wilson and prosecute the officers who were involved in the death of Freddie Gray. 1:52 The entire global collective Anonymous is outraged that these vicious murders. The time has come to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough. 1:59 We are infuriated as we watch day after day another human murdered because an irresponsible corrupt system allows free rein to cops that continuously abuse their power. 2:11 Thus, we are calling upon the citizens of the United States to rise up and stand in solidarity with the people of Dallas, Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, as well as Baltimore and Ferguson. 2:24 We are grieving for the lost lives that were taken by the hands of a corrupted authority. We must stress the importance of staying nonviolent. Your local 7-eleven or dollar tree did not FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY cause the deaths of these young men. We are calling on a day of action centered around civil disobedience. 2:30 In the right to protest to police departments across the United States - we are not your enemy; however, it is in your hands if you want us to stay that way or not. We will not be silenced and we will not be intimidated. 2:56 Once again, we are calling upon the citizens of the United States in conjunction with the black lives matter movement as well as other civil rights activists to participate in a day of action against the injustice of corrupt officers on Friday, July 15th. 3:10 We will all flood the streets at strategic locations in order to maximize our voice. The locations and times will be located in the description below. 3:23 Tell your family. Tell your friends. We will change the world together. Our freedom depends on it. 3:30 We are anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. 3:33 On July 15th, expect us all. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY APPENDIX B List of Protest Locations – Anonymous “Call to Action” Friday, July 15, 2016 - Ann Arbor: 7:00 pm - the University of Michigan Diag – referenced as “THE DIAG” – is presumably the location of the park in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Atlanta: 7:00 pm - the “Old Decatur Courthouse” at 101 E Court Sq., Decatur, GA 30030 – a facility that currently serves as the DeKalb History Center Museum. Austin: 6:00 pm - the Texas State Capitol outside the South Gate at 11th and Congress Ave. Baltimore: 7:00 pm - the Baltimore Inner Harbor at 201 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202. Boston: 7:00 pm - the “Massachusetts State House” at 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 01233. Carson City: 4:00 pm - the Nevada State Capitol Building at 101 N Carson St, Carson City, Nevada 89701. Chicago: 6:00 pm - the Richard J Daley Center at 50 W Washington St, Chicago, Illinois 60602. Cleveland: 7:00 pm the Cleveland Public Library at 325 Superior Ave E, Cleveland, Ohio 44114. Columbus: 7:00PM (GOODALE PARK, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Denver: 5:00pm - the Civic Center Park at 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, Colorado 80204. Des Moines: 6:00 pm - the Iowa State Capitol at 1007 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50319. Detroit: 7:00 pm - Campus Martius Park, Detroit, Michigan 48226. Durham: 7:00 pm - 200 E. Main St. Durham, North Carolina. o Norfolk Southern (NS) rail tracks are within close proximity of the designated protest site. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - - Lansing: 7:00 pm - the State Capitol Building at Capitol Avenue at Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933. Little Rock: 6:00 pm - outside the State Capitol Building at Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr., Little Rock, AR 72201. Los Angeles: 4:00 pm - the Leimert Plaza Park at 4395 Leimert Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008. Manhattan, NY: 7:00 pm - Times Square in Manhattan, NY, 10036. Memphis: 6:00 pm – the Health Sciences Park Memphis, TN. Miami: 7:00 pm – Gwen Cherry Park NW at 71 St., Miami, Florida, 33147. o The Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) operates tracks within close proximity of the protest site. Milwaukee: 5:00 pm - Dineen Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Minneapolis: 6:00 pm - the Minneapolis Urban League at 2100 Plymouth Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411. o BNSF operates railroad tracks within range of the protest site. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - Nashville: 6:00 pm – the Estes Kefauver Federal Building at 801 Broadway Nashville, TN 37203. o CSX rail tracks are within two blocks from the designated protest site. - New Orleans: 6:00 pm – Lafayette Square in New Orleans, LA 70130. Newark: 7:00 pm – Newark City Hall at 920 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. o AMTRAK rail tracks are within a few blocks of the protest site. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - Oakland: 4:00 pm – Frank Ogawa Plaza at 1 Frank H Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612. Orlando: 7:00 pm – Lake Eola Park at 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, Florida 32801. o CSX tracks are a few blocks away from the protest site. - Philadelphia: 7:00 pm – Love Park at 1599 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102. o Both NS and Canadian Pacific (CP) maintain facilities within a few blocks of the protest site. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - Phoenix: 5:00 pm – Eastlake Park at 1549 E Jefferson St , Phoenix, AZ 85034. o Union Pacific (UP) tracks are within close proximity of the protest site. - Pittsburgh: 7:00 pm – Pittsburgh City-County Building at 414 Grant St, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219. o NS rail tracks run within two blocks’ distance of the protest site. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - Portland: 4:00 pm – the Pioneer Courthouse Square at 701 SW 6th Ave, Portland, Oregon 97204. Salt Lake City: 5:00 pm – the Salt Lake City Community College at 4600 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, Utah 84123. San Francisco: 4:00 pm – the Civic Center Plaza at 355 McAllister St, San Francisco, California 94102. Seattle: 4:00 pm – the Queen Anne Baptist Church at 2011 1st Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98109. St. Louis: 6:00 pm – the Gateway Arch at 100 Washington Ave, St. Louis 63102. o Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) rail tracks run alongside the designated protest site. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - Tampa: 7:00 pm – Outside the Hillsborough Courthouse at 800 E Twiggs St, Tampa, FL. o CSX rail tracks are a block away from the protest site. - Tucson: 5:00 pm – Catalina Park at 900 N 4th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85705. Washington DC: 7:00 pm – Outside the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500.