Reddit, the popular online forum for discussions on almost anything, decided to ban five groups it determined were offensive. The five groups were known to criticize gays, the obese and blacks, Time reported.

Reddit wants to end abuse that has plagued the site in the past, but still wants to be known as a site where anyone can go to talk about virtually any topic.

Reddit CEO Ellen Pao and other executives announced the ban of the five groups Wednesday. 

Of the groups banned, two criticized obese people and three were forums where blacks, gays and transgender people were attacked. Of the five, the most popular was r/fatpeoplehat. Reddit says that group had more than 5,000 members.

PC World reports that Reddit's reason for the ban of the groups was because they broke the policy against harassment of individuals.

When some Reddit users learned of the ban, they were angry and said the site was making the wrong decision. One user commented below the topic that there were other groups dedicated to abusive and taboo topics that were not banned. 

Some right-wing news websites accused Reddit and its CEO of censorship for banning the groups. Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian agreed, however, with the site's ban of these groups. Ohanian says that it was harassment.

"We're talking about men and women whose lives are being affected and worry for their safety every day, because people from a certain community on reddit have decided to actually threaten them, online and off, every day," Ohanian said.

Law professor James Grimmelmann, a frequent writer on Internet issues, says that the decision to ban these groups is a policy changed from Reddit's commitment to "unfettered free speech." However, he admits that the harassment is likely what caused them to change its philosophy.

Last year, Reddit had to ban a group for abuse as well. Hackers found nude celebrity images and posted them online to a Reddit group called "the fappenining." Reddit found the group and shut it down.