Lilrivkah, you asked for good news?
Nov. 19th, 2004 08:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ambitious_wenchWe've all heard of Rev. Fred Phelps, of the "God hates fags!" protests, right? Seems his dozen or so protesters were met by "hundreds" of opposition protesters in Arkansas. Only thing bad was a bottle thrown by the students hit a news reporter.
Anti-gay protesters met with opposition at FHS
BY BRETT BENNETT Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Friday, November 19, 2004
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/story/nwat/21920
A small group of anti-gay activist protesters drew a large response when they came to Fayetteville High School on Thursday afternoon.
The group, which numbered about a dozen children and adults, was from the antigay Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. They said they decided to protest FHS because it has a Gay/Straight Alliance club, and the group was in Little Rock on Thursday morning to protest the opening of the Bill Clinton Library. "We’re here because stu- dents need to understand it’s not OK to be gay," church member Katherine Hockenbarger said. "It’s not OK for a school to have a club about sex. ... That club has no place in a tax-funded institution."
One FHS sophomore said he was particularly discouraged to see children accompanying the group. "It’s sad to see these kids so young, 5 or 6 years old. They’ve just been brainwashed," FHS student Trevor Logan said.
In anticipation of the protesters’ arrival, hundreds of Fayetteville High School students stood outside the school waiting for them. Many of the students held signs or wore shirts protesting the Westboro group’s message of "God hates fags."
Also, a counter-protest group made up of nonstudents set up signs in a designated area. The Fayetteville Police Department also set up a designated area for the Westboro groups in front of the school. Police officers ordered the students to clear a section of sidewalk directly across from them.
As the church group arrived, many students in the crowd booed and became more visibly irate. A few even threw beverage bottles or containers at the anti-gay activists, who arrived around 12:40 p.m., toward the end of the school’s lunch hour.
A half-full bottle of Gatorade hit Channel 5 television reporter Cassandra Garner in the head, and an ambulance was summoned to evaluate her. She declined to be taken to the hospital, according to Alan Wilbourn, director of Fayetteville school/community relations.
No arrests were made, though police on the scene said they would have arrested the student who threw the bottle if they knew who he or she was. A spokeman for KFSM appeared on the station’s 6 p.m. newscast asking anyone with information to call Crimestoppers, which offers money for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of people involved in crimes.
About 12:50 p.m., a school official announced through a bullhorn that it was time for the students to come back inside, and students slowly started making their way toward the entrance as police helped direct them inside.
Though the students were ordered back to class, the nonstudent counter-protesters, numbering about 25, remained outside the school to exchange words with the Westboro group. "I’m here to support the students who are trying to find themselves because I don’t want them to think the whole world hates them," counterprotester Caitlin Looney said.
About 1:20 p.m., with the student crowd dissipated, the Westboro church members packed up their signs and left.
Wilbourn said the school hoped to have as normal a day as possible, but realistically, "there was no way it was going to be."
Copyright © 2001-2004 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved.
Anti-gay protesters met with opposition at FHS
BY BRETT BENNETT Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Friday, November 19, 2004
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/story/nwat/21920
A small group of anti-gay activist protesters drew a large response when they came to Fayetteville High School on Thursday afternoon.
The group, which numbered about a dozen children and adults, was from the antigay Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. They said they decided to protest FHS because it has a Gay/Straight Alliance club, and the group was in Little Rock on Thursday morning to protest the opening of the Bill Clinton Library. "We’re here because stu- dents need to understand it’s not OK to be gay," church member Katherine Hockenbarger said. "It’s not OK for a school to have a club about sex. ... That club has no place in a tax-funded institution."
One FHS sophomore said he was particularly discouraged to see children accompanying the group. "It’s sad to see these kids so young, 5 or 6 years old. They’ve just been brainwashed," FHS student Trevor Logan said.
In anticipation of the protesters’ arrival, hundreds of Fayetteville High School students stood outside the school waiting for them. Many of the students held signs or wore shirts protesting the Westboro group’s message of "God hates fags."
Also, a counter-protest group made up of nonstudents set up signs in a designated area. The Fayetteville Police Department also set up a designated area for the Westboro groups in front of the school. Police officers ordered the students to clear a section of sidewalk directly across from them.
As the church group arrived, many students in the crowd booed and became more visibly irate. A few even threw beverage bottles or containers at the anti-gay activists, who arrived around 12:40 p.m., toward the end of the school’s lunch hour.
A half-full bottle of Gatorade hit Channel 5 television reporter Cassandra Garner in the head, and an ambulance was summoned to evaluate her. She declined to be taken to the hospital, according to Alan Wilbourn, director of Fayetteville school/community relations.
No arrests were made, though police on the scene said they would have arrested the student who threw the bottle if they knew who he or she was. A spokeman for KFSM appeared on the station’s 6 p.m. newscast asking anyone with information to call Crimestoppers, which offers money for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of people involved in crimes.
About 12:50 p.m., a school official announced through a bullhorn that it was time for the students to come back inside, and students slowly started making their way toward the entrance as police helped direct them inside.
Though the students were ordered back to class, the nonstudent counter-protesters, numbering about 25, remained outside the school to exchange words with the Westboro group. "I’m here to support the students who are trying to find themselves because I don’t want them to think the whole world hates them," counterprotester Caitlin Looney said.
About 1:20 p.m., with the student crowd dissipated, the Westboro church members packed up their signs and left.
Wilbourn said the school hoped to have as normal a day as possible, but realistically, "there was no way it was going to be."
Copyright © 2001-2004 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved.
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ALL RIGHT!!!
Date: 2004-11-19 06:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 06:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 08:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 09:49 am (UTC)I understand. Sorry, I now have something from The Music Man in my head. There's trouble, right here in River City!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 06:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 08:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 12:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 11:56 am (UTC)It's funny, but bad news after bad news makes me want to give up, but stuff like this . . . they make me want to get right back up again and keep on fighting. It's good to know that we're not alone, and perhaps even, have overwhelming love and support. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 03:53 pm (UTC)