Yet another community strikes back against Westboro Baptist

When the hate group arrived to protest a Santa Monica high school, residents were there to greet them

Published February 26, 2013 6:55PM (EST)

     (YouTube)
(YouTube)

It was less than two weeks ago that the students, faculty and campus community at Vassar College came together to turn a visit from hate group Westboro Baptist into an unprecedented fundraising opportunity for LGBTQ rights. The week before that, people in Clatyon, Missouri drowned out a Westboro protest with chants of "Love conquers all."

And yesterday, residents of Santa Monica came out -- in droves -- to counter yet another scheduled Westboro appearance. The hate group had protested outside the Oscars on Sunday, and chose Santa Monica high school as its next target because of the school's pro-LGBTQ student policies -- oh, and its proximity to their Oscar activities. (Gas prices being what they are, even bigots have to be practical about commuting!)

Students came out en mass to defend their school against Westboro's hateful presence, joined by parents, faculty members and others from the community. Their numbers overwhelmed the hate group's turnout, ultimately sending them packing.

In addition to the news that an entire town banded together to stand for love, the video also serves as a feel good afternoon bump.

Watch it here:


By Katie McDonough

Katie McDonough is Salon's politics writer, focusing on gender, sexuality and reproductive justice. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.

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Hate Groups Hate Speech Lgbtq Lgbtq Rights Protest Resistance Video Westboro Baptist Church