They took something that wasn't theirs.
That makes them thieves.
As far as the "govt" response, and I use the term govt loosely as is deserved, it was way overdone obviously.
A great example of how when all you have is a hammer, everything around you starts to look like a nail.
With regards to the SPLC, they are at least partly correct. I absolutely am their enemy and they are mine. End of discussion there.