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Community prepares for Westboro picket

April 19, 2012

Students and community members are preparing for a visit from members of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, who will rally from 8:15-8:45 a.m. Monday at the Union.

The group, which is widely known for picketing military funerals in protest of America’s acceptance of homosexuality, also plans to picket at 7:15 a.m. Monday at Eastern High School, 220 N. Pennsylvania Ave., in Lansing, and Central Michigan University at 2:00 p.m.

In a press release, members of Westboro Baptist Church said they are picketing to teach children the truth about God’s commandments and how children have been corrupted by teachers.

As of Thursday evening, members from the church could not be reached for comment.

MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said the MSU Police Department is preparing for the group’s visit to campus, and she said she expects things to run smoothly.

“They have a right to speak,” McGlothian-Taylor said. “Our purpose is to make certain they have the opportunity to say what they want and to protect them and protect the public.”

Kent Cassella, assistant vice president for communications at MSU, said because free speech is an important aspect of academic freedom, the university is taking the group’s visit seriously.

“Any group, regardless of viewpoint, has the right to assemble in the public areas of campus so long as it does not engage in disorderly conduct or violate rules,” he said. “The safety and security of our community members and the public is our top priority.”

Members of Westboro Baptist Church last visited East Lansing in November 2010, and some students are preparing for their return with a counterprotest called “Love Always Wins,” which will be held in the median of Abbot Road, across from the Union.

Counterprotest organizer Sasha Chemey, a political theory and constitutional democracy and chemistry freshman, said he hopes to draw a diverse group of people.

“I feel very strongly about this and want to bring people of all different backgrounds and all different ideologies together,” Chemey said. “I want to show the world, and Westboro, that there’s unity when they try to create division.”

The counterprotest will feature a funniest sign competition and mass kissing, Chemey said.

Attendees of ““Love Always Wins”:http://www.facebook.com/lovealwayswinsatmsu” also will be raising money for two different organizations: the NOH8 Campaign, a silent protest photo project against California Proposition 8, and The Listening Ear, a Lansing-based crisis hotline.

Although accounting sophomore Adam Darga said he doesn’t agree with the views of Westboro Baptist Church, he will not be attending the counterprotest.

“I wouldn’t go to a rally to support them, but I wouldn’t go to something to try to get them off campus,” Darga said. “They have a right to do whatever they want.”

Chemey said he expects the counterprotest will have a positive impact on the community Monday. But above all, he said he hopes no one who passes by the Westboro protest is hurt by the words of the members.

“The world needs to see that at MSU, love always wins,” he said.

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