The Westboro Baptist Church is at it again, but this time they've set their sites on a very large target. The Kansas group is know for their protests of funerals and other major events, and now they have decided they will travel to protest the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The Huffington Post shared the details on Jan. 15.
Planning to protest high-profile events is nothing new for the Westboro Baptist Church, though they are often met with significant resistance and lately they have backed away from plans in some cases. This was the situation in Newtown, Conn. after the Sandy Hook shootings, as well as in Tucson, Ariz. when they planned to protest funerals there after the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. Now Westboro hopes to head to Washington, D.C. and they have secured a permit to aid in their efforts.
Huffington Post has confirmed that the Westboro Baptist Church has gotten a permit allowing them to walk along Pennsylvania Avenue on Jan. 21 from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The group previously protested outside Sasha and Malia Obama's school in 2009 with references to the girls being “satanic spawn” of a “murderous bastard.” The Westboro Baptist Church is mostly the family of founder Fred Phelps, and their focus is on an extremely anti-gay message. Westboro's tactics have spurred people across the country to push back against their hatred, and there is even a White House petition with over 300,000 signatures trying to get the group defined as a hate group.
Will the Westboro Baptist Church really show up to protest at President Barack Obama's inauguration? With this group, one just never knows for sure.
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