As the citizens of the US reel under the horrific death of George Floyd, the country has been facing widespread civil unrest and rioting targeted at the country’s police. It all began when a video of a white police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes went viral. Floyd can be seen and heard begging for release and his final words before he becomes immobile are: “I can’t breathe”.

For years, black citizens of the country have fighting against the police for what they view is horrific behaviour against the blacks. Numerous reports and video footage justify their claim.

Now, after years of relative quiet, even as the country burns, the popular hactivist group, Anonymous has emerged from the shadows and are on the side of the people.

The collective has no central leader and their tagline “We are legion”, appears to refer to their large numbers. They were crucial during the Arab Spring and their symbol is a Guy Fawkes mask – think V for Vendetta.

Anonymous claims the various forms of cyber-attack that have debilitated the police network including the one that took down the Minneapolis police department website over the weekend.

A page on the website of a minor United Nations agency has been turned into a memorial for Mr Floyd, reports the BBC, along with the Anonymous logo.