The internet activist group Anonymous has responded to Twitter taunts from the Ku Klux Klan by taking over its US Twitter account.
The Twitter spat began after the KKK allegedly
threatened protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, as the area
awaits an
imminent court decision over the killing of Michael
Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, by a white
police officer.
The KKK began a war of intimidation by threatening to
use lethal force against Ferguson protesters and handing
out flyers in the St Louis area.
— NBN (@NEELYBYNATURE) October 10, 2014The KKK passed out flyers in St. Louis (9/10/14) pic.twitter.com/eEDcoOov6d
The group of hackers launched Operation KKK, using
#OpKKK to respond to the white supremacist group’s
online posts. Operation KKK revealed the identities of
Klan members in the St Louis area.
— #OpKKK (@OperationKKK) November 17, 2014Just remember; This operation is NOT for fun. The reason of this operation is to bring freedom, respect, stop racism and violence. #OpKKK
The KKK responded with retweets and mocked
Anonymous’s challenges: “Our Kommunity is not at all
scared of the threats from anonymous. Just try us.
You’ll regret it. #WhitePrideWorldWide.”
Anonymous replied in true vigilante style on Sunday,
by taking control of the KKK Twitter account and
replacing the logo with its own.
— #OpKKK (@OperationKKK) November 16, 2014We have taken control of @KuKluxKlanUSA We told you we would attack back. #OpKKK #HoodsOff
Anonymous has tweeted sparingly from the account, but has confirmed it has access to direct messages that confirm the validity of the @KuKluxKlanUSA account and promised a further statement at 3am GMT on 18 November.