Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Westboro Church protest met with laughter, sarcasm, mickey-taking and charity.
Over 100 students gathered on South University Avenue and in Hutchinson Courtyard Monday to demonstrate against six protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) advocating against the University of Chicago, the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS), and the University of Chicago Law School’s employment of Barack Obama...
They were accompanied down the street by a group of students mocking the WBC’s message. The students held a sign reading "Figs Doom Nations" and planted themselves across the street from the WBC, drawing from a Biblical passage in which Jesus disparages a fig tree. "If you need scanty biblical evidence for anything, we’ve got it," said fourth-year Carmel Levy...
On the eastern side of the quad, students who had been waiting for the group waved signs mocking the WBC’s trademark "God Hates Fags" poster. The signs bore slogans such as "God <3’s internet porn," "God hates the new Facebook," and "God hates dial-up."...
Deputy Dean of Students for Student Affairs Martina Munsters came away with a positive impression of the counter-protest. "From what I’m hearing, it sounds like things went really well. There was no confrontation...[and] students seemed to be pretty upbeat," she said. "They even raised about $500 for charity, which I think is tremendous."
Over 100 students gathered on South University Avenue and in Hutchinson Courtyard Monday to demonstrate against six protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) advocating against the University of Chicago, the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS), and the University of Chicago Law School’s employment of Barack Obama...
They were accompanied down the street by a group of students mocking the WBC’s message. The students held a sign reading "Figs Doom Nations" and planted themselves across the street from the WBC, drawing from a Biblical passage in which Jesus disparages a fig tree. "If you need scanty biblical evidence for anything, we’ve got it," said fourth-year Carmel Levy...
On the eastern side of the quad, students who had been waiting for the group waved signs mocking the WBC’s trademark "God Hates Fags" poster. The signs bore slogans such as "God <3’s internet porn," "God hates the new Facebook," and "God hates dial-up."...
Deputy Dean of Students for Student Affairs Martina Munsters came away with a positive impression of the counter-protest. "From what I’m hearing, it sounds like things went really well. There was no confrontation...[and] students seemed to be pretty upbeat," she said. "They even raised about $500 for charity, which I think is tremendous."
Labels: comedy, demonstrations, Fundamentalists- Christian, hate speech, United States
