Anonymous chose to target the group after the Ku Klux Klan reportedly threatened “lethal force” against those protesting the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.
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In forcibly accessing and shutting down various KKK websites and Twitter accounts, it seems that Anonymous has learned the names of at least 1,000 Klan members, which it’s released to the public accompanied by photos and other personal details.
“We want the KKK gone, forever”, a person going by the username “SiX” told The Huffington Post last November in an Anonymous Internet Relay Chat about the operation.
Anonymous is planning a celebratory unmasking of new Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members on the one-year anniversary of the Ferguson protests that followed the grand jury’s decision in the Michael Brown case on November 24, 2014. They call the release “Operation KKK”. We are not here to strip you of your Freedom of Speech.
This prompted global hacktivists group Anonymous to react, taking control of KKK’s main Twitter account, and through it, gaining information regarding a few alleged members of the TAKKKK.
Instead the group claims its reasoning for revenge is as a direct result of threats to Anonymous members who were apparently present at the Ferguson protests. We took this grudge between us rather seriously. You operate much more like terrorists and you should be recognized as such. You continue to inflict civil rights violations, commit violent crimes and solicit others to commit violent criminal acts. You are terrorists that hide your identities beneath sheets and infiltrate society on every level. “We are attacking you because of what you do to our brothers and sisters”. Anonymous said it has been watching the group for so long and revealing the people behind the hoods is “the right course of action”. The group will also look to take down social media sites affiliated with the group and these members.
As a result, Willman reportedly received hundreds of death threats before Darren Wilson was officially revealed to be the involved police officer.
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According to a January CNN report, there are an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan today.
