Anonymous Takes on the KKK in Ferguson - VIDEO

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From a report via Newsweek:

Members of the self-styled tech-revolution group Anonymous have apparently seized control of several Twitter accounts and websites belonging to members of the Ku Klux Klan in retaliation for threats made against protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.

The group of so-called hacktivists has successfully targeted websites belonging to such organizations as the Church of Scientology, the government of Zimbabwe and corporate sites belonging to Visa, MasterCard and PayPal in the past.

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The hackjob, given the hashtag #OpKKK by the group, began Sunday on as the first part of a two-part “op,” as Anonymous calls its hacking activities. The second part, called #HoodsOff, involves the “doxing” of KKK members in and around St. Louis.

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In its typically over the top style, Anonymous announced the attack with a YouTube video. “We are not attacking you because of what you believe in, as we fight for freedom of speech,” the video says. “We are attacking you because of your threats to use lethal force against us at the Ferguson protests.”

Anonymous’s track record for revealing personal and identifying information of those they deem their enemies, or “doxxing,” as they call it, is spotty, at best. The last time they tried to turn their technical wizardry to the aid of Ferguson protesters, it ended badly: On August 14, one Anonymous member released the name and picture of a Ferguson police officer who the member claimed was Michael Brown’s killer. It was the wrong guy. Police ultimately released Darren Wilson’s name voluntarily two weeks after Brown’s shooting.

That wasn’t the first time Anonymous fumbled a hack. In 2012, they doxxed someone they thought had cyber-bullied a Canadian teenager to the point of suicide. But they got some important details wrong. Most crucially, they listed the wrong address for the person, Slate reports, leaving a bewildered homeowner asking why strangers were showing up at her door.

So far, Anonymous claims to have taken down at least one site operated by the KKK, www.traditionalistamericanknights.com, and also appears to have seized at least two KKK-affiliated Twitter accounts, @KuKluxKlanUSA and @YourKKKCentral. Both accounts are now tweeting and retweeting threats and vitriol at KKK members.

As to whether Anonymous is doxxing the right people, only time will tell. Neither the FBI nor Frank Ancona, a high-ranking imperial wizard of the KKK, immediately returned a request for comment.

This spat between Anonymous and the Klan comes as Ferguson is on edge, just emerging from months of intense, racially charged protests following the shooting death of Brown by Wilson. The grand jury tasked with deciding whether Wilson will face criminal charges shooting is expected to announce its decision sometime this week.