Read the "Time's up" message they wrote. They pretty much speak in a righteous way to the signed up people. They tell them to "atone and move on" or something of the sort.
This reads to me more like "power trip" than anything else.
Peoples' motivations for doing things are never cut and dry. Yes, an amount of ego may have snuck in there, but they may have also genuinely thought they were doing a Good Deed.
This reads to me more like "power trip" than anything else.