#OpKKK

EDITOR’S NOTE: event currently developing. This article will be updated as new information becomes available.

Overview

#OpKKK refers to an online hacktivist campaign and a series of social media protests launched by Anonymous in retaliation to threats of violence made by the Ku Klux Klan against protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.

Background

In November 2014, it was reported that the Traditionalist Knights of the Ku Klux Klan based in Park Hills, Missouri was distributing fliers in and around Ferguson. The fliers warned that “lethal force” would be used against “violent protesters”.^[1] In the midst of the ensuing controversy, the KKK and Anonymous reportedly exchanged several rounds of threats.^[4] On November 14th, 2014, the Youtube account Anonymous Australia published a video titled “ANONYMOUS #OpKKK”, in which it declared the launch of a campaign against the KKK.

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 the 12th of November.

Notable Developments

Soon after the video was released, Anonymous hackers doxxed members of the KKK near the St. Louis area, releasing details such as photos, personal information, and addresses.^[5]

On November 15th, 2014, the KKK-affiliated Twitter account @KuKluxKlanUSA retweeted a direct message from Anonymous Australia, in which Anonymous announced that it would take direct action against the KKK.^[2] Over the course of the next ten hours, the Twitter account taunted Anonymous repeatedly, declaring it “a bunch of wannabees” and claiming that it “won’t take any action”.^[3]

At 9:11 p.m. (GMT) on the same day, approximately two hours after it made its final tweet taunting Anonymous, @KuKluxKlanUSA was hacked. The account’s profile avatar was immediately changed to the symbol of Anonymous and a post was made celebrating the success of #OpKKK.

On November 17th, the Anonymous-affiliated Twitter account @YourAnonNews declared that the website traditionalistamericanknights.com, belonging to the group that had distributed the fliers, had been taken offline.