Westboro Church plans to disrupt my high school alma mater's homecoming. Nobody knows why

[Siwsan]

For some unknown reason, they seem to be out to get Genesee County schools.

Westboro Baptist Church planning protest during Grand Blanc High School homecoming

GRAND BLANC (WJRT) (9/26/2018) - Westboro Baptist Church has notified Grand Blanc Community Schools of its intent to protest during Oct. 5's homecoming festivities.

The conservative church from Topeka, Kansas, is planning the protest outside Grand Blanc High School that day. The specific location and reason for the protest was not immediately known.

Westboro Baptist Church has used inflammatory rhetoric against homosexuality, LGBT rights and gay marriage in the past. Church members also have picketed outside soldiers' funerals in protest of war.

The picket at Grand Blanc High School is scheduled for 10:20 to 10:50 a.m. Other Westboro pickets are planned for 6:55 to 7:30 a.m. outside Southwestern Academy in Flint and 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. outside the University of Michigan-Flint SEJ Annual Conference.

A press release posted on Westboro's website about the picket at Southwestern Academy references the "economically disadvantaged" students and how they need the "bread of life which we will happily bring to their eyes."



https://www.abc12.com/content/news/Westboro-Baptist-Church-protest-could-disrupt-Grand-Blanc-High-School-homecoming-494412241.html

[dlk]

1. Their Coffers Must be Running Low-Time for Some Publicity

[saidsimplesimon]

2. It's a compliment.

Laugh them to the curb and move on, these cretins are publicity hounds.

[underpants]

3. Because, the gay

Geeez those people

[atreides1]

4. Money

They want to provoke the school to do something, to infringe on their 1st Amendment rights...at which point they will file a lawsuit!

[MuseRider]

5. Probably because nobody

around here pays any attention to them and they are not as out there as when Pops was living. Shoot, I live outside of Topeka and go into Topeka 4 or 5 times a month and I never see them anymore. We have our first Symphony concert this weekend, they are usually there but I don't even see them there anymore. Have fun and sorry, this is not the export I would have come from my home town but then this whole state has been pretty awful lately.

[gratuitous]

6. They don't need a reason

The Westboro folks like to stir up hatred and discontent. It's probably an even bet whether they show up at all. If they're short on ready money, they like to provoke a physical response and then sue the luckless community or sponsor of the event to fund their little torture camp.

The best defense is to set up a line of bodies between these hateful people and their target. Don't engage, don't yell back, be very disciplined. My personal experience is that after 20 minutes or so they get bored and leave.

[FBaggins]

7. My understanding is that they announce more than twice as many protests

As they actually perform.

[Siwsan]

8. They showed up at the funeral of a local Marine, about 10 years ago

Rolling Thunder organized a counter protest, and a massive crowed showed up to support the Marine's family. The Westboro people tried to park at the Home Depot, right across the street from the funeral home. Management came out, accompanied by the police, and told them that unless they planned on doing some shopping, they had to move. Local fire and rescue lined up truck after truck and blocked the view from the parking lot to the funeral home property. The Westboro people looked at the crowd, the barricade and the lack of any other friendly parking lot, packed up and left. Oh, and the county presented them with a bill for all of the security. Of course, they never paid it.

[customerserviceguy]

9. They're assholes

Someday, they're going to go into the wrong small town, pull their shit, and ain't nobody gonna see nothing what happens.