Members of the Westboro Baptist Church spent their Easter morning protesting against Baldwin City churches, but they were followed by a group of area residents who were protesting against Westboro Baptist Church.

Westboro Press Release

Westboro Baptist Church to picket four Baldwin City, KS whorehouses (“churches”)

The congregation posted a press release on April 15 calling four Baldwin City churches “whorehouses” that sell “blasphemous feel good gospel.”

After they arrived in Baldwin City on Sunday, the Westboro protesters said little, but standing a few feet away, I could hear snide remarks being exchanged by members of the two groups of protesters.

Many of the Westboro protesters were children, carrying signs with “FAG EASTER” and “TOO LATE TO PRAY” scrawled across them. Some of these kids looked too young to understand what they were saying, let alone protest it in the streets of a town they knew nothing about.

Local property owner John Hoffman waved his flag and yelled remarks across to the Westboro protesters, commenting on their signs and their lack of response. Hoffman is a veteran of the Korean War and has seen the protesters at soldiers’ funerals. This fueled a fire that has prompted him to follow Westboro since 2006 and bring others to protest on his side of the line.

It was the people who protested the protesters that were loud and unruly by waving flags, holding signs and acting more like protesters you see in the news.

These signs included “Thank God Fred Phelps went to HELL” and “God loves whores and hates the Westboro Baptist Church.” These were the signs that fought fire with fire.

But also among them stood a veteran wearing his uniform, along with others holding signs quoting Bible verses and saying “Jesus loves you,” signs that were peaceful and fought the message of Westboro without being offensive.

I felt more in agreement with these individuals than the ones with the signs filled with hatred. The “Happy Easter” sign that a young boy was holding was more effective than the ones using inflammatory words.

As soon as their arranged time was up, the protesters were escorted by police to their van to leave quietly, while everyone else yelled, laughed and threw their signs into the back of their cars, calling it a successful day. Neither side was declared the victor, but ironically both were off to observe the same holiday.