Anonymous goes after Westboro Church Group.."We will destroy you. We are coming"

[HipChick]

Hacktivist group Anonymous published the personal information of members of the Westboro Baptist Church after the group announced on Saturday it would picket Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut where 26 children and adults were killed.

Anonymous published private email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses of various members, and teased the group about the hack on Twitter. Anonymous also posted a video condemning the group for "breeding hatred" and adding, "We will destroy you. We are coming.”

The Westboro group holds protests at military funerals, and targets various cultures and demographics, particularly gay people.

The Westboro group holds protests at military funerals, and targets various cultures and demographics, particularly gay people. The group blames them for tragedies such as shootings, saying it's God's punishment for their actions.

The Westboro Baptist Church has previously been warned by Anonymous, who in February 2011 told the group to "Cease and desist" its protest campaign in 2011, or face damage to its website. "The damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover," Anonymous wrote.

And the group may be forced to stop its picketing if a new petition gains enough momentum.

A White House petition published on Friday that's circulating the Internet aims to classify the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group.

As of this writing, nearly 12,000 people have signed it. If the petition gains 25,000 signatures by January 13, 2013 it will be viewed by the Obama Administration and a response will be issued.

The American Bar Association defines hate speech as "speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits."
http://mashable.com/2012/12/16/westboro-hate-group/

[physioex]

1. I've said this before...

But the best thing we do with Westboro is to ignore their publicity stunts. They make money by suing municipalities when their "rights" are infringed.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. We are incapable of ignoring them.

Besides, silence is consent.

[physioex]

4. Yikes 100K posts...

I can agree with that, but we have to put safeguards in place so they don't walk with our money.

Edit: I listen to their Howard Stern show interview, and not only are religious nuts but educated lawyers.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Really Peggy?

We ignore them here on their home turf. They get zero media coverage. I haven't seen them mentioned in our local paper in years. They thrive on attention, so ignoring them seems to be the best way to handle them.

We laugh here in Kansas that the reason they are so well known across the country is they had to go out of state to get attention.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. I didn't know that.

I say good for you!

I guess the rest of us don't know how to ignore them. We want to take the bait.

[Warpy]

12. I know an elderly lady in Topeka

who is terrified of them, says they've sued just about everybody in town on some pretext or other to get out of court, "make it go away" settlements. She crosses the street when she sees any of them.

She's pretty peppery. I'm sure she looks right through them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Yes. Thank you.

We Kansans figured this out a long time ago.

[physioex]

9. It would be nice...

If we could figure out some way to have their law licenses revoked.

Edit: Grammar mistake.

[Separation]

20. Westboro get their money

From litigious lawsuits and hush money. Pay us and we won't picket. They are a hate group and its high time they get labeled as such.

[BainsBane]

2. Police in Newtown

said they would arrest anyone who hassled the victims families. Evidently there have been incidents of harassing victims. I don't know if it is just these Westboro nuts or a broader collection of psychos. But really. How fucking up do you have to be to hassle people who just lost their children in such a horrific crime.

[physioex]

5. If you hang around people who are getting attention...

You can get some of that attention yourself. Not to say that it is acceptable.

[kestrel91316]

6. I suspect RW teabagger christofascist gun nuts are the harrassers.

Can you blame them?? They have to get proactive about the gun grabbing that's gonna come.

[Warpy]

11. Kid stuff

I'll believe they know what they're doing when they erase records of law licenses, drain that "church" bank account, and open everybody's books to find out where all the money's coming from.

Getting them classified as a hate group is only the beginning. Taxing the bastards should be the next logical step, kicking out some of their financial support.

[Initech]

13. Westboro has gone too far this time, they must go.

[Generic Brad]

14. That should be an easy hack for Anonymous

From what I have seen of Westboro church members, they do not strike me as being intelligent enough to protect themselves electronically.

[physioex]

15. Please do not underestimate their intentions....

They are not a bunch of hicks who barely passed the third grade.

[Generic Brad]

17. I don't discount their intentions

But I question Westboro Church's technical knowledge. I know I would not want to have the electronic ire of Anonymous directed at me.

[Zorra]

21. Yeah they are. Anonymous Hacks Westboro Baptist Church Website LIVE

[arcane1]

16. What is to be gained by publishing this personal information?

[SoonerPride]

19. retribution

by exposing their names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. will make it easier for people to attack them. and I do mean causing them literal harm.

the country despises these creeps and tossing out their private info will be like chum in the ocean.

they will get devoured.

I'm not sayinG I agree with what will happen, but that is the intent IMHO

[arcane1]

22. Great, more injury and death

[Zorra]

18. WBC is a seriously weird cult for hate freaks. Hopefully, Anonymous will perform a thorough,

successful exorcism, and this awful group of bigots that is a national shame will disband forever.