Counter-protesters lined the sidewalks while Westboro Baptist Church visited George Mason University.
From 7:40 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. this morning, the Westboro Baptist Church protested at my university.
This organization is most known for its “God Hates Fags” and “God Hates America” slogans.
I rushed to the protest and counter-protest location and snapped some pictures. Head to my photostream (courtesy of Flickr) to view all the photos.
Video from the protest will be posted later in the day.
Westboro’s protest at Mason coincided with the kickoff of its annual PRIDE Week. Considering Westboro’s famous slogan and Mason’s celebrated choice for the 2009 homecoming queen, there was little question why Mason was chosen.
The protest and counter-protest took place peacefully, with the Westboro members occupying a street corner sectioned off by police. Counter-protesters protested in three separate locations, and outnumbered the Westboro members by an estimated ten-to-one.
Again, my Flickr photostream has many more photos from the event. Take a look.
Later on today, I will take time to write more about the experience, and who came to exercise their right to free speech in the chilly morning hours in Fairfax, Va.
UPDATE: jump ahead to the video post.
A Thinner Pen 
