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Anonymous.jpg
Disgusted by Wesboro Baptist's plans to picket a vigil for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the hacker group Anonymous is waging a cyber war against the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church, based in Kansas. (AP file photo of the masks that symbolize Anonymous)

Anonymous hacktivists go after Westboro Baptist Church

December 18, 2012 @ 5:41 am (Updated: 7:37 am - 12/18/12 )

Who wins when an anarchist group of computer hackers take on the Westboro Baptist Church?

Westboro Baptist Church is an organization that claims everything bad that happens is a message from God and that people who are suffering deserve the pain because they brought it on themselves.

Along with their anti-gay message, they are known for getting media attention by picketing the funerals of victims of the Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre. They have also protested at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan

At solemn moments, Westboro members are often laughing and appearing with kids who join in their way of thinking.

They have vowed to protest at the funerals of the children killed in Newtown, Connecticut.

But Westboro has a new rival.

"Hello Westboro Baptist Church. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are anonymous," a video message begins.

"As you may not have acknowledged our existence, we, on the other hand, have recognized yours. We have seen your depraved methods of disseminating your message of hate throughout the United States of America."

Members of the hacktivist group Anonymous are targeting the Westboro Baptist Church in several ways. They are posting the names and addresses of members of Westboro and encouraging people to bombard them with messages of their own.

For awhile, they hacked into the Westboro Baptist Church twitter feed and took it down.

Anonymous also posted a video with veiled threats against Westboro.

"We are coming. We are Anonymous. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us," the video concludes.

Anonymous is filing a petition against Westboro's tax-exempt status. Because of its status as a religious entity, the Westboro Baptist Church is able to avoid paying taxes.

Another petition wants Westboro to be recognized not as a religious group, but as a hate group.

Anonymous has done its own controversial things including cyber-attacks on the Pentagon. The group merged with the Occupy Wall Street movement and other anarchist groups, but for the most part their specialty is online hacking.

More mobilizing online comes from Reddit users, who announced plans to travel to Newtown to hinder any possible Westboro protests.

You've heard the phrase "fight fire with fire," that's exactly what Anonymous is doing to Westboro.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (37)


  • Add A Comment

  • cigarfan wrote...
    Good job Anonymous
    December 18, 2012 1:41 pm
    Nice to see the crazy religious far right-wing get their just deserts!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • O-town listener wrote...
    Free speech - any limits?
    December 18, 2012 2:07 pm
    I don't really know the answer here, but in my gut it just doesn't feel right to allow a group to protest childrens funerals. I'm definately for free speech - speaking up against your government, institutions, etc. - but it feels like there should be some line we should be able to draw - like no protesting funerals. Let the families of service members and children mourn their loved ones in peace. If you want to send a message to the world, send it somewhere else, not in sight of the funeral.

    Also, AJ - you support Anon's legal means and villify their illegal means, yet claim the illegal acts of our ancestors to rebel were noble and just. Where does the line get drawn on illegal acts being o.k.?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • William Lawn wrote...
    @O-Town, The one constant here is that if you "don't really know the answer here"
    December 18, 2012 2:56 pm
    Flounder does.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • JLaub wrote...
    Using a tragedy to promote personal agendas
    December 18, 2012 2:08 pm
    Status Photo Place Life event . What's on your mind? Friends ... See Your 2012 Year in Review Look back at your 20 biggest moments from the past year.. . Activity Recent Jeri got a new high score in Word Mojo. Like · Comment . Jeri is now friends with Kobe Gonzales and Donald Inman. . ads not by facebook . Jeri Lynn Laub Yesterday . When something as horrific as the Sandy Hook school shootings happen, we all try hard to make sense of it. We search for a reason to explain how things like this happen, so we can try to stop it from happening again. And of course, we should. Unfortunately, while searching for answers, the focus tends to become less about the victims and their loved ones, and more about using the tragedy to promot e personal agendas. For example... Is anyone honestly going to try to tell the parents of the innocent victims at Sandy Hook Elementery School that God allowed their beautiful children along with six of their teachers to be terrified and slaughtered because" God is not allowed at school"? If God was in the heart of even one of the people at that school, he was there. Just as he is anywhere and everywhere that someone believes in him. And even (for argument's sake) he wasn't. The God I know does not kill innocent children just to make a point. Man, however, does. It's time to please put compassion ahead of the urge to say " I told you so."
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  • Stevebo wrote...
    RE: AJ vs. Messiah... the "I know you are but what am I?" ballad..
    December 18, 2012 3:03 pm
    Wow you two... you guys sound exactly like grade school children.

    That amusement aside...

    I don't disagree with this group targeting the Westboro church, but I do disagree with the illegal activities (i.e. hacking their twitter, etc.)

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MmMerrifield wrote...
    maybe...
    December 19, 2012 3:29 am
    maybe they need to revise the first amendment so that your freedom is not to assert hate on another entity. After all, hate isn't harmless.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }