[Previous counter-protest to Westboro event. Photo cred - Brian Chilson]
This Friday, November 28th, 7pm-8pm, at the Havana Theatre in Vancouver, B.C., there will be a Pastafarian counter-protest to the Westboro Baptist Church protest at the same location.
For those who do not know, Westboro Baptist Church is a hate group out of Kansas, best known for picketing funerals of soldiers killed in the Iraq War. From wikipedia:
The church runs numerous websites such as GodHatesFags.com, GodHatesAmerica.com and others expressing condemnation of homosexuality, Roman Catholics, Muslims and Jews, as well as populations it believes are supporting the aforementioned groups, including Chinese, Swedes, Canadians, Irish, British, Mexicans and Americans.
A few weeks ago, the Central Arkansas Pastafarians staged a counter-protest to another Westboro Baptist Church event, causing it to be cancelled. The picture, above, is from this counter-protest. Read more about it here.
Please come if you can, and help put these assholes in their place. Please be civil, we are simply countering their protest with one of our own – don’t get arrested or cause bad press for Pastafarians.
Please spread the word. Dress in pirate regalia if you can. Take pictures.
What: Pastafarian Counter-Protest to Westboro Baptist Church hate event.
When: This Friday, November 28th, 7pm – 8pm
Where: The Havana Theatre in Vancouver, B.C.
1212 Commercial Drive Vancouver, British Columbia
Contact: Pastafarian Ben – he is the man behind this operation. You can reach him at: tremblay47@gmail.com
*NOTE*
What exactly is the Westboro Baptist Church protesting? On Friday, the Havana Theatre in Vancouver is staging a play called The Laramie Project. The Laramie Project is about the reaction to the murder of a gay student named Matthew Shepard in 1998. Matthew Shepard was beaten to death by a hate group because he was gay. He was tortured, tied to a fence and left to die. The Westboro Baptist Church contends the actions were justified and is protesting the play.
In their press release for this event, WBC says “Matt Shepard has been in Hell now for ten years, with eternity left to go on his sentence – without appeal, parole, or time off for good behavior. All else about Matt is trivial and irrelevant. You may join him soon. Deal with it.”
So, who’s coming to ruin Westboro Baptist Church’s day?
Important message from the comments:
If anyone does go, be very careful – Phelps LOVES to antagonize people into physically attacking him and/or his followers, and then sues the hell out of them.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=49826558960
Facebook event for the counter-protest
Jolly Bloger, here’s the Facebook group organizing it: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33191679236 If that doesn’t work, search on “laramie project” in facebook.
By the way, the Facebook group is starting their event at 5pm.
I’m so there! I live in Seattle so it’s only about a 3 hour drive… count me in!
How about setting up a stand with free spaghetti? They’d get a free bowl and a nice pamhlet so the people would have something to read while eating… I’d guess that if someone set up an account where people could donate, you’d have the spaghetti funded all the way.
Protest extra hard for me! I am in Alaska and cannot make it this time. These people make me sick.
Blessings be upon all who undertake this holy work. But no smiting!
RAmen! I wish I could be there,I have no plans/obligations from now until Monday morning, but totaled my car recently so am restricted to locations close enough to bike to. Anyone going through Bozeman, MT wanna pick me up?
P.S. I love the idea of angels with wings to block out the hateful signs… what if we made huge pirate ship cardboard cutouts? or used bedsheets for “sails”? Would be more pastafarian-style than angels.
I will definitely be there in spirit. Good luck on the counter-protest.