Anonymous has released the identities of around 1,000 alleged Ku Klux Klan members online.

The ‘hacktivist’ group had threatened to reveal the identities of members of the white supremacist group last month to mark the first anniversary of the Ferguson protests.

Dubbed Operation KKK, the cyber activists promised to expose members after obtaining the list through infiltrating a social media account belonging to a Klan member.

They also said they will also shut down websites and other social media accounts affiliated to the Klan.

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‘Hactivist’ group Anonymous has released the identities of around 1,000 alleged Ku Klux Klan members online

As they released the list on Thursday, the group said the data had been gathered and verified over a period of 11 months – but shortly after the release, they said some names would be redacted for accuracy.

It said: ‘We consider this data dump as a form of resistance against the violence and intimidation tactics leveraged against the public by various members of Ku Klux Klan groups throughout history.’

It added: ‘We hope Operation KKK will, in part, spark a bit of constructive dialogue about race, racism, racial terror and freedom of expression, across group lines.

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‘Public discourse about these topics can be honest, messy, snarky, offensive, humbling, infuriating, productive, and serious all at once.

‘The reality is that racism usually does NOT wear a hood but it does permeate our culture on every level.

Anonymous (pictured, members wearing Guy Fawkes masks) promised to reveal the identities of members of the Ku Klux Klan last month to mark the first anniversary of the Ferguson protests

‘Part of the reason we have taken the hoods off of these individuals is not because of their identities, but because of what their hoods symbolize to us in our broader society.

‘We need to make room for important, blunt, honest, public, productive conversation.

‘Violent bigotry IS a problem in the United States. This is not a colorblind society. It is deeply divided on racial lines.’

The release came days after Anonymous denied responsibility for released the names of several U.S. politicians allegedly affiliated with the group.

Senators Jonny Isakson, Jogn Cornyn, Thom Tillis and Dan Coats were forced to deny the allegations after the data dump.

Anonymous denied releasing a list days ago, which included Indiana’s Republican Senator Dan Coats (left) and Lexington mayor Jim Gray (right). They were forced to deny the allegations and branded them ‘ridiculous’

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn and Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry also dismissed the claims.

Indiana’s Republican Senator Dan Coats called the allegations ‘completely false’.

‘I have never had any affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan and deplore all forms of racial discrimination,’ he wrote on Twitter.

He also posted: ‘This is baseless Internet garbage of the worst kind.’ 

The information was posted in their jailbreak speed hack script pastebin (please click the next document) by a source working for Anonymous.

But the group posted on Twitter: ‘We respect the work of our fellow freedom fighters. However, we are unable to confirm, deny or take credit for any work that we did not do.’

Anonymous took action against the Klan in November last year after members of the group threatened violence against peaceful protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.

The Midwestern town has become a symbol for racial tensions in America since the fatal police shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black man, Michael Brown, in August 2014.

Violent protests erupted on November 24 last year when a grand jury decided not to indict white police officer Darren Wilson, who shot Brown.

During the demonstrations, KKK members warned protesters that ‘lethal force’ would be used against them.

A grand jury decided not to indict the officer Darren Wilson, sparking violent demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, where the KKK threatened to use ‘lethal force’ 

Protests in Ferguson erupted when unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by Darren Wilson, a white police officer 

In a statement last month, Anonymous said it felt justified in ‘applying transparency’ to the KKK.

‘You are more than extremists. You are more than a hate group,’ the statement released online said.

‘You operate much more like terrorists and you should be recognized as such. You are terrorists that hide your identities beneath sheets and infiltrate society on every level.

‘The privacy of the Ku Klux Klan no longer exists in cyberspace. You’ve had blood on your hands for nearly 200 years.’

The statement said: ‘We will release, to the global public, the identities of up to 1,000 Klan members, Ghoul Squad affiliates and other close associates of various factions of the Ku Klux Klan across the United States.’

The Ghoul Squad is believed to be an auxiliary organization for KKK supporters.

They added that all will be revealed, and ended the statement with the words: ‘You messed with our family and now we will mess with yours…’

Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead by police officer Darren Wilson, despite being unarmed. A grand jury decided not to indict Wilson in  November last year sparking protests

It is the second time Anonymous has clashed with the KKK after reports last year the hackers took over several Twitter accounts and harassed members over the phone.

Anonymous has been linked to online attacks around the world aimed at punishing governments for policies of which the hackers disapprove.

Members are known as ‘Anons’ and are distinguished by their Guy Fawkes masks.

The group have been seen as anything from digital Robin Hoods to cyber terrorists for their hacking campaigns against government agencies and child pornography sites.

Targets of Anonymous ‘hacktivism’ have included the government agencies of the US, Israel, Tunisia, Uganda, and corporations such as PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, and Sony.

 

Anonymous