Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protests At Two Missouri High Schools, But Only Shows Up At One (VIDEO)

A Missouri high school was the scene of the notoriously anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church's latest protest, but witnesses say counter protesters vastly outnumbered those in the right-wing group.

At the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting, five demonstrators from the Topeka, Kan.-based church showed up at Clayton High School at about 7:30 a.m. They were met by an estimated 300-400 counter protesters, but both groups were separated by a buffer zone manned by local police.

Authorities say they didn't know why Westboro members had singled out Clayton High, other than noting the school had an active gay-straight alliance, the faculty sponsor of which was among the many counter protesters.

Interestingly, a similar protest had been planned at nearby Fort Zumwalt East High School today, reportedly at the request of one of the school's students, but never materialized, according to KSDK. “His email was to the effect of ‘We’ve got proud homosexuals strutting up and down the halls of this school. You’ve got to come,'" Margie Phelps, an attorney for Westboro Baptist Church, and daughter to the pastor, is quoted by Unicorn Booty as saying.

Members of Westboro, which has previously picketed the funerals of U.S. servicemen as well as those of Apple CEO Steve Jobs and slain gay student Matthew Shepard, also protested yesterday at the Super Bowl.

Take a look at photos of some of their earlier protests below:

Comments

[rini1946]

05:03 PM on 02/10/2012

I am strait and have no problem with them protesting at a school That is what america is freedom of speech but and a big but at funerals I draw the line. The people are hurting enough because a loved one died it is not the place for a protest. The person that died may or may not have lived up to thier standards but the people there are thier friend or loved ones. If I would do anything execept run my mouth off I would be at thier church every day that had services and protest them. Not a bible thumper myself but I remember a story where there was someone going to be killed for a crime and one of the deciples said good he is no good person and should be killed. And Jesus said that we should not judge people thats Gods job we can judge the crime but not the person.

[justanothergrandma]

04:27 AM on 02/09/2012

Let me say that I'm proud to live in Missouri tonight. I'm glad there are some enlightened people in public education.

But, can't this 'church' find something better to do with their time? Like making meals for the hungry or gathering clothing for the needy?

And I worry about the student who called them. He has a poor future ahead of him.

[Godweiser]

09:30 AM on 02/08/2012

The local police and emergency services ought to bill Westboro Baptist for wasting their time by not showing up. That would discourage Westboro Baptist from calling in multiple events so as to stretch emergency responders thin, a dangerous precedent that could impact the needs of those who actually require the services of these people. I'm sure they have a selfish reason for employing guerrilla methodology to make the police cover a wider net over a given area, but it is a totally irresponsible act on their part. I realize they're lawyers and they sue for anything to make their pennies, but this is dangerous.

[Andrew Strahl]

11:36 PM on 02/07/2012

"Those who rejoice in disaster won’t go unpunished­." Proverbs 17:5

[Maj Divine]

10:42 PM on 02/07/2012

Hmmm I don't see much difference between this and the republican national convention or the southern baptist convention, all pretty much look the same.

[Leanne McKenzie]

08:24 PM on 02/07/2012

These people have their freedom of speech but the Occupy protesters do not. Something is wrong. Very wrong.

[Ari Dean]

09:47 PM on 02/07/2012

They fly the flag with a Cross on it and hide behind the name Christian. I would call them dogs but I love dogs. And I can't think of any animal I dislike enough to liken them to.

[nsewing]

06:58 AM on 02/08/2012

Cockroaches maybe?

[cjk002]

08:01 PM on 02/07/2012

Nobody seems to get the obvious point about WBC: They have utterly and completely failed to stop the advancement of gay rights over the last two decades. If anything, they have helped it along.

[LuLou Murder]

05:35 PM on 02/07/2012

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. - I John 4:8

[Katie Bakker]

05:03 PM on 02/07/2012

Why doesn't someone just go shoot them all? No one would miss them.

[Michael Steaphens]

02:31 AM on 02/21/2012

Unfortunately,we can't.But now if their bus ran off a mountain road,I can honestly say nothing of value will be lost.

[Wrongway62]

04:36 PM on 02/07/2012

When your so far to the right, even the far right thinks your crazy, it must mean something.

[Scott Stevenson]

03:31 PM on 02/07/2012

We need another Waco.

[LuLou Murder]

05:31 PM on 02/07/2012

Or just Heaven's Gate

[Justin Werner]

05:02 AM on 02/08/2012

I favor another Heaven's Gate over another Waco. Neater, no bullets, and no actual innocents were harmed in Heaven's Gate: every single one of them chose their course. Of course, another Waco would be far more in character for the WBC.

[SameBoat]

05:41 PM on 02/07/2012

I disagree, Scott. We need another Enlightenment.

[bbrown37]

02:48 PM on 02/07/2012

I often used to wonder what I'd do if either of my brothers had died in Iraq and these creatures protested the funeral. Coming from the Kansas City, KS area, it would have been a definite possibility.

Happily both of my siblings are alive and well and I don't have to wonder anymore, but I'm sure it would have involved my first ever encounter with the justice system.

[rockysparks]

02:37 PM on 02/07/2012

This group is really no different than some of the drug cartels. They push the law to the edge in efforts to extort money and gain publicity for themselves. Sort of a religious violation of the RICO statute ...

[SciFiChickie]

01:51 PM on 02/07/2012

Ok... I'm ready to protest their church...

Who's with me?

[bbrown37]

02:51 PM on 02/07/2012

Unfortunately the Phelps family is well-educated and trained for these situations. They know the legal limits of their actions And yours and thrive off of provoking opposition to infringe on their rights.

Thankfully they're small, insular, and uninterested in conversion.

[dav0001]

07:07 PM on 02/07/2012

ME!!! Hey, I'd be willing to push it past just protesting.

[DevonTexas]

12:59 PM on 02/07/2012

Looks like the Westboro church members are finally achieving the epitome of irrelevance.