The 'hacktavist' group Anonymous has taken control of two Twitter accounts used by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) following threats by the white supremacist group towards the protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.
Last week a senior member of the Traditionalist Knights of the KKK handed out flyers warning that the group would use “lethal force as provided under Missouri law to defend ourselves” against protesters in the St Louis suburb. The warning came ahead of Monday’s grand jury decision on whether or not to press charges against a white policeman who killed an unarmed black teenager in August.
In response, Anonymous posted the personal details of several members of the KKK in St Louis and released a video on Friday heralding the launch of "Operation KKK".
It said: “We are not attacking you because of what you believe in as we fight for freedom of speech… We are attacking you because of what you did to our brothers and sisters at the Ferguson protest on 12 November.”
The video added: “The aim of our operation is nothing more than cyber warfare. Anything you upload will be taken down, anything you use to promote the KKK will be shut down.”
The Twitter account @KuKluxKlanUSA, which currently has around 3300 followers, and the smaller @YourKKKcentral, began taunting Anonymous on Saturday evening, decrying the group as a “bunch of wannabees” who “won’t take any action”.
On Sunday, following several more derisory posts towards the 'hacktavists', both KKK accounts were taken over, the Klan logo being replaced by the Anonymous emblem.
The bio on the @KuKluxKlanUSA Twitter account was changed to: “Under anon control as of 16 NOV 2014 09:11:47. You should’ve expected us.” The bio on @YourKKKcentral simply read "Fuck the KKK".
The @KuKluxKlanUSA account posted a picture of a man dressed in Klan garb being lynched. Anonymous has promised to release a statement on Monday on the “seizing” of the accounts.
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