Mashable reports that the hacktivists who form "Anonymous" have threatened Westboro Baptist Church with irreversible damage to their websites and congregation if they don't close their websites and cease their protests. Based on their experiences with Wikileaks opponents and in Egypt, they are obviously able to carry out their threat.
Given Westboro's antigay stance and protests at the funerals of soldiers and celebrities where they make frequent references to hate, hell and numerous slurs I don't imagine that many feel particularly sympathetic at the moment. That aside it does raise a question regarding the responsibility of society to protect free expression and to protect its members from abuse.
So is this a case of vigilante justice, repression of free speech or activists accomplishing what government and law enforcement can't do?
I can't help but feel ambivalent. If somebody else wants to take the high road and defend WBC's freedom of speech, that's nice. But if Anonymous shuts them down, I'd probably have just enough energy to be mildly amused.
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