2012 was a year frequently marked by division and polarized political conflict. But when it came to the actions of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, the nation largely put aside personal differences in a unified rejection of the group's incendiary rhetoric and abrasive, hateful demonstrations.

Below, 12 actions taken against Westboro in 2012:

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  • Honoring America's Veterans Act

    In August, President Barack Obama <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/honoring-americas-veterans-act-obama_n_1748454.html">signed the Honoring America's Veterans Act</a>, dealing an indirect blow to Westboro Baptist Church by declaring that protests at military funerals -- a favorite tool of the congregation -- must be at least 300 feet away. The law also says such demonstrations are prohibited two hours before or after a service.

  • White House Petition

    In late December, petitioners flooded the White House "We the People" website, calling for Westboro to be officially recognized as a hate group and to have the church's tax-exempt status revoked. One petition became the site's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/white-house-petition-westboro_n_2365799.html">most popular ever</a>, surging past 270,000 signatures. In total, the petitions against the congregation <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/27/us-usa-guns-westboro-idUSBRE8BQ0IE20121227">drew close to 500,000 signatures</a>.

  • Jerry Brown

    California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/westboro-jerry-brown_n_1893849.html">signed a bill</a> in January echoing the federal law signed earlier by President Barack Obama. It established a 300-foot buffer zone around military funerals, where demonstrations are prohibited.

  • Zombies

    Westboro protesters <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/29/westboro-baptist-church_n_1717142.html">were outnumbered</a> by a zombie-themed counter-protest in July, when members of the church sought to organize picketing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in DuPont, Wash. About 300 counter-protesters were there. Westboro demonstrators numbered eight.

  • Missouri

    In July, thousands of people in red shirts <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/22/westboro-baptist-church_n_1693548.html?1343597714">formed a "human wall"</a> around a Columbia, Mo., church to block a small Westboro group from protesting the funeral of 21-year-old Army Specialist Sterling Wyatt. Wyatt was killed in Afghanistan earlier in July.

  • Texas A&M

    In July, a large group of Texas A&M students <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/texas-am-students_n_1653002.html">formed a "maroon wall"</a> to block Westboro protesters from getting near the funeral service of Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale, an alumnus of the school killed on a U.S. military base in June.

  • Anonymous

    In December, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/westboro-baptist-church-hacked-anonymous-protest-newtown-shooting-victims-funerals_n_2315070.html">hacktivist group Anonymous targeted Westboro Baptist Church</a> after the congregation announced plans to picket the funerals of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Hackers from the group later posted personal information about members of the church and hacked the Twitter accounts of some of Westboro's most vocal leaders. Anonymous also announced that it had successfully taken down the church website for some period of time.

  • Nine-Year-Old Josef Miles

    HuffPost Good News <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/westboro-baptist-church_n_1518901.html">reported in May</a>: <blockquote>Nine-year-old Josef Miles and his mother, Patty Akrouche, were walking around the Washburn University campus in Topeka, Kan., on Saturday when they saw a group of Westboro Baptist Church protesters armed with signs. The church is infamous for using pickets with phrases like "God hates fags" and "Thank God for dead soldiers." After reading some of the signs on display, Akrouche said that Miles asked her if he could create one of his own. Using a small sketch pad, he wrote out his message in pencil and held it out while he stood across from the picket line. "GOD HATES NO ONE," he wrote.</blockquote> For pictures of Miles' demonstration, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/westboro-baptist-church_n_1518901.html?utm_hp_ref=westboro-baptist-church">click over to HuffPost Good News</a>.

  • Motorcyclists

    In December, a group of motorcyclists responded to news that Westboro members were planning to picket the funeral of Sandy Hook Elementary School principal Dawn Hochsprung by <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/westboro-baptist-church-protest-newtown-victim-funeral-_n_2331880.html">assembling outside the church</a> to block them from getting near the service. Westboro members reportedly backed down after the bikers established a large presence.

  • Firefighters And Police Officers

    TheBravest, a website dedicated to all things Fire Department of New York, <a href="http://www.thebravest.com/standthewall.html">sent out a call to action</a> in late December, urging firefighters and police officers to travel to Newtown to counter potential moves by Westboro to disrupt funeral services of Sandy Hook victims.

  • North Carolina

    In October, a spirited group of counter-protesters <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/westboro-baptist-church-video_n_1967661.html">attempted to beat back Westboro followers</a>, who were demonstrating against a service to honor 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Donna Johnson, a gay soldier killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan. One counter-protester took the "beat back" literally, bull-rushing a Westboro congregant.

  • Angel Wings

    A group called Angel Action <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/398024316947100/">organized a counter-Westboro demonstration</a> gave attendees 10-foot sets of angel wings that would shield funeral demonstrations from the displays of the church.

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