Westboro Baptist Church picketers foiled in 5 minutes

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 23rd, 2009, 10:20 AM

Outnumbered more than 50 times over, three members of a Kansas-based fringe group here to picket a memorial service for a victim of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 were hushed and eclipsed Sunday by counterprotesters in Buffalo and Clarence.

With many counterdemonstrators wearing white plastic angel wings and others holding large white flags and banners, two efforts by the three from Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., were rousingly overshadowed by the response of area students and residents who gathered because they said they opposed the group’s hateful, anti-gay message.

The Westboro group had announced plans to picket near a memorial service in St. Joseph-University Catholic Church for Alison Des Forges, a human-rights activist who was one of the 50 people who died in the Feb. 12 plane crash.

At about 1:45 p. m., when the service had been scheduled to begin, the three Westboro pickets started walking along Main Street from Allenhurst Road.

In a matter of minutes, they were surrounded by dozens of the more than 150 counterdemonstrators, who came armed with the plain white cloths to hide the Westboro group’s signs.

Just before 1:50 p. m., the three Westboro members walked back to their car with two of at least a dozen Buffalo police officers monitoring the situation.

http://www.buffalonews.com/102/story/587487.html

**Peeperann** · February 23rd, 2009, 10:51 AM

I hate that Kansas so called church!! They are no church, Jesus would ashamed of them!!

And i'm so proud that the counter protesters were able to shut them down and not let their hate filled message be heard!!

**nurseronda** · February 23rd, 2009, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Peeperann

And i'm so proud that the counter protesters were able to shut them down and not let their hate filled message be heard!!

I agree...It is about time someone came up with a great idea to shut these idiots down and peacefully.

**moonlilly1981** · February 23rd, 2009, 12:03 PM

Why the hell would someone protest a fucking memorial or funeral service? Thats stupid as hell. Peep your right Jesus would be ashamed of them. They are no church but a bunch of hate mongers.

**Athena** · February 23rd, 2009, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by moonlilly1981

They are no church but a bunch of hate mongers.

You say that as if there's a difference. An overwhelming amount of organized religions preach hate in one form or another.

These guys fill their colorful signs with blatantly offensive language while picketing at blatantly offensive locations and they get all the attention in the world. But what impact are they really having?

Meanwhile, the Mormon church (and other Christian denominations) orders its members to financially support the anti-gay marriage offensive in California, which they did in droves, and the result is the banning of gay marriage in one of the biggest states in the union. Apparently, LOTS of Christians believe that "God hates fags".

If you're truly concerned about hate mongers, be concerned about the ones with the power and resources to actually change things. The Westboro Baptists are a handful of chumps... they don't hold a candle to the real dangers presented by religion.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 23rd, 2009, 01:41 PM

But it's still fun to see their antics disrupted. :)

**Peeperann** · February 23rd, 2009, 01:51 PM

Athena, you're right, but again, you are lumping all churches together. My church here in Iowa and in Kentucky may not actually lead the charge for gays and gay marriage, but neither do they preach against it.

They only preach the word of God and do not take political stances on stuff. So, there are good ones out there that actually remember what they are here for.

As for this particular Kansas so called church, they are blatenly flouting the word of God and preaching hate. There is a difference.

**Nell** · February 23rd, 2009, 01:58 PM

Sadly, Athena is right about Mormons. One of the many reasons I left the church. I could tell you stories..........

**Pixie** · February 23rd, 2009, 02:07 PM

Fucking assholes. That's all I have to say.

**moonlilly1981** · February 23rd, 2009, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by Athena

You say that as if there's a difference. An overwhelming amount of organized religions preach hate in one form or anything.

These guys fill their colorful signs with blatantly offensive language while picketing at blatantly offensive locations and they get all the attention in the world. But what impact are they really having?

Meanwhile, the Mormon church (and other Christian denominations) orders its members to financially support the anti-gay marriage offensive in California, which they did in droves, and the result is the banning of gay marriage in one of the biggest states in the union. Apparently, LOTS of Christians believe that "God hates fags".

If you're truly concerned about hate mongers, be concerned about the ones with the power and resources to actually change things. The Westboro Baptists are a handful of chumps... they don't hold a candle to the real dangers presented by religion.

There is a difference between a church and a hate monger. The Mormon Church and the Catholic Church are the biggest group of organized hate mongers that I can think of off the top of my head. Its any oxymoron to have a church who's founder and many other "prophets" after where polys. To say to someone well you know gays are bad and their church was founded by a man who had many wives whos first wife and other wives were married to each other. Get what Im saying?

Any Church or church member who stands outside of a funeral or memorial services and pickets it in protest is a hate monger plain and simple. I dont care what "church" they belong to. If they are going to quote the christian bible they need to read it right. Anyone who is going to picket anything and bring it back to the christian bible needs to know their shit. Cause Jesus Christ wouldnt have tolerated this crap. He wouldnt tolerate the hate against the gays either athena no matter what the old test says about it. He didnt preach hate and intolerance but love for your fellow man. No matter what that package comes in. If anyone wants to debate that go look for a paraphrased story about the sumarian woman at the well.

**Nell** · February 23rd, 2009, 06:40 PM

Mormons are idiots. I was a Mormon for a long time. I know all too well the ridiculousness they get up to and their history of shenanigans. But all polys are not the same.

**moonlilly1981** · February 23rd, 2009, 06:45 PM

I have no issues with Polys. Mormons are just wacko. Its stupid to say I hate gays when they used to practice polygamy.

**Peeperann** · February 23rd, 2009, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by moonlilly1981

There is a difference between a church and a hate monger. The Mormon Church and the Catholic Church are the biggest group of organized hate mongers that I can think of off the top of my head. Its any oxymoron to have a church who's founder and many other "prophets" after where polys. To say to someone well you know gays are bad and their church was founded by a man who had many wives whos first wife and other wives were married to each other. Get what Im saying?

Any Church or church member who stands outside of a funeral or memorial services and pickets it in protest is a hate monger plain and simple. I dont care what "church" they belong to. If they are going to quote the christian bible they need to read it right. Anyone who is going to picket anything and bring it back to the christian bible needs to know their shit. Cause Jesus Christ wouldnt have tolerated this crap. He wouldnt tolerate the hate against the gays either athena no matter what the old test says about it. He didnt preach hate and intolerance but love for your fellow man. No matter what that package comes in. If anyone wants to debate that go look for a paraphrased story about the sumarian woman at the well.

Amen.

**Castille** · February 23rd, 2009, 09:17 PM

Eh, Westboro's just a scam money making operation. They behave as provacatively as possible, get their civil rights violated, sue and win millions. They're all lawyers, and it's all been terribly profitable for them. They were sued themselves once and lost, which I found gratifying, since I think their purse is their primary concern.

**brokenandtwisted** · February 23rd, 2009, 09:23 PM

I've always been confused about America's hate speech laws. What's deemed hate in America? Someone enlighten me?

**Castille** · February 23rd, 2009, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by brokenandtwisted

I've always been confused about America's hate speech laws. What's deemed hate in America? Someone enlighten me?

You're allowed to spout hateful things here.

**Athena** · February 23rd, 2009, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by brokenandtwisted

I've always been confused about America's hate speech laws. What's deemed hate in America? Someone enlighten me?

No hate speech laws, here. You can say whatever you want, so long as it doesn't cause legitimate damage to someone's reputation, it doesn't incite violence (i.e. telling a group of people to kill blacks), and doesn't qualify as "obscene" (which is wickedly relative, but whatever).