Hacktivist group Anonymous loves to make headlines and its war with the Ku Klux Klan is no exception. On Nov. 5, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, a holiday worshiped on the other side of the Atlantic for the resolve of the Parliament but celebrated here as a monument to social activism, the mysterious group released the names of many high-profile members of the racist organization.
The mainstream media has grown increasingly interested in Anonymous' activity, especially with this conflict. The impact this group has had internationally over the years in protesting, taking down websites and exposing the records of the immoral according to their beliefs is impressive, and it is very difficult to trace it all back to an original place or time. No one single person is in charge of Anonymous either.
People simply claim affiliation to the activist cause, and those proficient in hacking typically do the most severe damage, in this case with the KKK. Anonymous activity became more prevalent with the rise of the modern Internet (a tool that celebrates anonymity), so it makes sense that their special type of activism is on the rise.
The “Hoods Off” campaign run by Anonymous members since August of 2014 in response to the KKK’s protests after Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, MO, has repeatedly threatened the hate group over social media, including Twitter. They have followed up on those threats last year by released personal information, including credit card details of the KKK’s leader.
This year, after months of reported online investigations and interviews with various sources, Anonymous released a long list of KKK members and sympathizers. This list comes from the profiles of people on Google and Facebook who like or follow certain KKK-affiliated pages and groups.
An official list of hundreds on pastebin.com was published and shared on Twitter by the official Anonymous handle on Guy Fawkes Day. Information attached with the hundreds of lines of links to the social profiles colors the interests of Anonymous as being against the terrorism of the KKK and wanting to spark debate about our country divided along racial lines in the modern world.
The hacktivists are quick to remind that they are advocates for free speech, but say: “Violent bigotry IS a problem in the United States.”
It is a relationship rooted in a deep mutual hatred. Anonymous and their actions tend to be liberal, socially idealistic and modern, while KKK members are still reactionary to the subjects of black rights, immigration, homosexuality and interracial relations.
The only thing I know of in recent memory that the two groups have seen eye-to-eye on is their disgust for the Westboro Baptist Church. Anonymous called both of the groups out back in 2012 as the KKK protested the WBC for celebrating the “judgment” of the Sandy Hook Elementary School killings.
