Police Designate Protest Area for "God Hates Fags" Group

by Rhonda J Mangus | February 21, 2009 at 07:40 am

801 views | 80 Recommendations | 16 comments

BuffaloPundit, a WNYMedia.net blog, reports that town and state police have set up a designated area for the "God Hates Fags" group, Westboro Baptist Church, who plan to protest two memorial services scheduled for this Sunday, February 22nd, for victims of Flight 3407. The Continental flight crashed outside of Buffalo, NY last Thursday, February 12th, killing all 49 on board and one on the ground.

On Sunday at 10am, they’ll be at the Zion Lutheran Church in Clarence Center, 2 blocks from the crash site.

On Sunday at 1:45, they’ll be at St. Joseph’s Church at 3275 Main Street in Buffalo near UB South campus.

The designated protest area is at the corner of Clarence Center and Goodrich roads.

That corner is over a block away from the Zion Lutheran church itself. Therefore, the town as crafted a time, place & manner restriction on the Phelps group so that memorial service attendees can come and go without ever seeing these monsters.

BuffaloPundit discourages participation in another group, "Angel Action" who also plans to stage a show of solidarity, along with members of UB Freethinkers.

The information is being passed along by UB Freethinkers, who have been receiving emails about the "Angel Action" with angel costumes, as a courtesy. UB Freethinkers is not organizing the event.

As an avowedly secular humanist student group, UB Freethinkers is not organizing angel costumes ourselves. However, we are asking everyone involved in our increasingly wide and proudly diverse group of attendees to WEAR WHITE if possible and use WHITE sheets/banners and signs, in solidarity with all of the other groups involved.

If you would like to take part in the actual "Angel Action" with angel costumes, contact information is available at the link.

Those from UB and elsewhere who need a ride to the memorial service, information is also available at the link.

Also on NowPublic:

"Westboro Church says it will protest at Flight 3407 Memorials"

Special News Coverage Continental Flight 3407

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nyctuber

at 02:04 on February 22nd, 2009

They should quadrant off the 'protest' area with a fuzzy pink rope just to piss these idiots off.

Rachel Nixon

at 09:26 on February 21st, 2009

Normally I try to see both sides of every argument but in this case I simply can't see the merit to these people. What do the victims of the Buffalo plane crash have to do with the Westboro Baptist Church's hatred of homosexuals? Nothing whatsoever. Nor do the dead soldiers from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I find their protests abhorrent.

Barry Artiste

at 09:32 on February 21st, 2009

You know it takes all kinds, though I agree with this in principle, as long as the rest of the area is designated No Nutjobs Allowed!

Blue Crush

at 10:21 on February 21st, 2009

It's too bad they're even allowed in town.

ojt

at 10:26 on February 21st, 2009

This church is crazy. Their entire focus is on attacking gay people.

jhazell

at 10:36 on February 21st, 2009

I wonder what God is going to do when they finally meet Him/Her?? My guess is their pastor got the message screwed up, it should have been "God loves Gay People" and God is going to be ticked off at the dummies. So I guess its going to be "God Hates Dummies" in the end,.... yah, thats it!! Oh boy, are you guys gonna get it!!!

literaryguru

at 10:39 on February 21st, 2009

I don't understand how this protest can't be stopped using existing hate speech laws. These people don't deserve to live in a democracy. They should all be packed up in little pink boxes with pink ribbons and shipped off to Taliban country where they can all sit around talking about how much they hate homosexuals until an unmanned drone drops a large bomb on their heads:

(Overheard in the Taliban/Westboro Baptist Church camp)

"Yes, Akbar, in my country we let the gays live. Can you believe it?

"Tell me western christian man, what for your gays do to each other?"

"Well, Akbar, sometimes they touch each other, just like this..."

"Ohhhh...I see. Wait a minute...what's that light in the sky?"

Booooom!

Pythiian1

at 10:43 on February 21st, 2009

It's disturbing enough that this fringe group of zealots has continued to disrupt funerals across the country; and now, they are protesting funerals of the Continental crash victims??

Amy Judd

at 11:43 on February 21st, 2009

I hope the people who attend the funeral never have to see these disgusting people - if I was there, I'm not sure I could hold myself back however.

Barbara McPherson

at 14:31 on February 21st, 2009

These hate mongers cannot call themselves Christians. What arrogance to think that they know what their god is thinking. Do gods think?

youngturk

at 22:44 on February 21st, 2009

Jesus would never sanction hate. He would ask them to abide by the laws in the bible prohibiting sodomy. But he would still love them! We are all sinners. He would pray for their salvation from sin!

Roy C

at 15:17 on February 21st, 2009

They are narcissists and exhibitionists whose character structure is so damaged that this activity of theirs creates a high which counter-acts their own depression and sense of worthlessness and lack of direction and meaning in life.

They are, in fact, addicted to this activity. Members of hate groups are all similar regardless of the targeted group. All extreme political and religious groups have many members like this.

If you arrested them and put them in isolation, the entire range of feelings buried within that prompted this display would come up and overwhelm them. If their brains, physical brains, were whole enough, they could heal and move on..

Paschen

at 05:44 on February 22nd, 2009

I think Rachel made a good comment and I second hers.

harringtola

at 12:50 on February 22nd, 2009

The world is full of haters. I do not understand why in a time of grief and mourning they feel the need to strike with their venom.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 21:01 on February 22nd, 2009

Hi, everyone! I want to apologize for my absence and thank everyone who read, commented on, and/or recommended this story. Every action is deeply appreciated!

I attended both protests today (see related story on NowPublic: Kansas-based hate group forced out in Flight 3407 protest), and I hope to have photographs of the protests up on NowPublic tomorrow.

Thanks again!