Westboro Baptist Church came to the corner of Kenwood and Maryland on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, and was met with a wave of UW-Milwaukee students who protested their signs with their own signs of love and acceptance on Thursday.
UW-Milwaukee students gathered in the Union’s Plaza with signs and rainbow flags of the LGBT community. Students waited for the Westboro Baptist Church to make their entrance to the school’s campus after the church’s website sent out a message to protest UW-Milwaukee when it was said the school was noticed for being a top school for LGBT communities.
The event lasted almost half-an-hour as Westboro Baptist members held signs protesting transgender people and abortions. The members tied rainbow-colored flags and the American Flag to their ankles and hips, and asked students to pray for forgiveness, saying that America was “going to hell”.
Student’s counter protest circled the small group of Westboro Baptist members and sang songs such as Lady Gaga’s hit “Born This Way,” and the Black Eye Pea’s famous 2000 song, “Where is the Love.”
UWM-police had created a circle around the members to keep the two groups separated, but after almost 30 minutes, the church members put down their signs and packed up. Students in the crowd roared in pride and serenaded the group with a loud goodbye, then dispersed.
There is no reports of violence or any disputes during the protest.
Photo Gallery:
