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Hackers Vow To Render Westboro Baptist Church 'Obsolete' After Threat To Protest At Newtown School

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two days after a spokesperson for the notorious Westboro Baptist Church announced on Twitter the group would picket Sandy Hook Elementary School, hackers have responded by taking over a Twitter handle and vowing to destroy the group and render it "obsolete."

Gunman Adam Lanza shot his mother at her Newtown home on Friday before going to Sandy Hook Elementary School and killing 20 children and six adults before killing himself.

On Saturday, Westboro's spokesperson Shirley Phelps-Roper posted on Twitter that "Westboro will picket Sandy Hook Elementary to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgement."

In response, the hacking group Anonymous took over Phelps-Roper's Twitter feed Monday, creating a background on the Twitter page, asking the public to "Pray For Newtown."

Pray for Newtown
The hacking group Anonymous hacked the Twitter handle of the spokesperson for the Westboro Baptist Church and made this photo the background. (credit: Twitter)

Anonymous also posted a message on the video sharing site, Vimeo, saying it would "waste no time, money and enjoyment" in tearing Westboro's resolve "into pieces."

LINK: See Anonymous' Video To Westboro Here

"We will not allow you to corrupt the minds of America with your seeds of hatred," the voice-over in the video said.

Following the tweet on Saturday announcing a picket, Anonymous responded by reportedly releasing the personal contact information of a number of Westboro Baptist Church members.

Anonymous has also created a petition at Whitehouse.gov to legally recognize the church as a hate group, according to the Examiner.

Westboro is best known for its past pickets at or near the funerals of fallen U.S. service members.

In the past the Supreme Court has ruled that it is legal for the church to protest funerals. A number of localities have passed laws barring the group from coming within a certain distance of funerals and burials.

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