Westboro Baptist Church protestors are known for traveling around causing controversy at almost every American cultural event. From the Super Bowl to celebrity funerals , Westboro Baptist Church has made a name for themselves by being the most hated (and hating) church in America. But Westboro Baptist Church protestors also show up to hundreds of lesser known venues every year to take on governments, schools, and individuals they deem worthy of God’s wrath.
A recent trip to Moore, Oklahoma for a showdown with one of their favorite targets landed a few Westboro Baptist Church protestors in hot water. Things got so tense, the Westboro Baptist Church members actually had to pack up and leave.
Why were Westboro Baptist Church protestors so concerned with the city of Moore, Oklahoma? There has been a “relationship” between the two since March 2009 when Westboro Baptist Church members protested Moore High School . A student from Moore High School would later die in a sledding accident and Westboro Baptist Church members returned to tell Moore residents that the student’s death was a result of God’s judgement. At that point, a mutual hatred was born that came to a boiling point when Moore, Oklahoma was hit by a vicious tornado on May 20, 2013 .
The tornado killed 25 people, including 10 children, and injuring hundreds more. It was the most devastating tornado in the United States since the 2011 tornado hit Joplin, Missouri. Church members took the opportunity to fire back at Moore residents, claiming God was punishing them for their lack of “repentance”.
Almost a year after the tornado, Westboro Baptist Church bought a permit to hold a protest on Sunday, April 6th from 2 pm to 2:30 pm. Unknown to the Westboro Baptist protestors, the residents of Moore would be waiting for them. They organized their own counter protest for that Sunday. The scene almost turned into something nasty as hundreds of residents shouted at the Westboro Baptist Church members to leave.
It was quite a sight, including a man dressed as Captain America. Standing among his fellow citizens, he shouted at the protestors , “My best suggestion to those people across the street, find a country, and get a plane ticket. I suggest Malaysian Airlines.”
Dan Eccles of Moore told KFOR-TV , “I was afraid of a riot really. I didn’t know how long Westboro would stay, which they were smart to leave.”
The Westboro Baptist Church protestors only made it into eight minutes of their scheduled 30 minute protest before they decided to pack it up and head home.
