Editing Westboro Baptist Church (section)

==Protest activities==
Phelps and his family picket approximately six locations every day, including many in Topeka and some events farther afield. On Sundays, up to 15 churches may receive pickets. By their own count, WBC has picketed in all 50 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state U.S. states].

The group carries out daily picketing in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topeka,_Kansas Topeka] and travels nationally to picket the funerals of gay victims of murder, gay-bashing or people who have died from complications relating to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS AIDS]; other events related or peripherally related to homosexuality; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football football] games; and live pop concerts. As of March 2009 the church claims to have participated in over 41,000 protests in over 650 cities since 1991. One of Westboro's followers estimated that the church spends $250,000 a year on picketing.

The pickets have resulted in several lawsuits. In 1995, Phelps Sr.'s eldest grandson, [[Benjamin Phelps]], was convicted of [[assault]] and disorderly conduct after spitting upon the face of a passerby during a picket. In the 1990s the church won a series of lawsuits against the City of Topeka and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee_County Shawnee County] for efforts taken to prevent or hinder WBC picketing, and was awarded approximately $200,000 in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney%27s_fee attorney's fees] and costs associated with the litigation. In 2004, Margie Phelps and her son Jacob were arrested for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trespassing trespassing], disorderly conduct and failure to obey after disregarding a police officer's order during an attempted protest. In response to pickets at funerals, Kansas passed a law prohibiting picketing at such events. In the autumn of 2007, the father of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Marines Marine] whose funeral was picketed by the WBC was awarded $5 million in damages. The award was later overturned on appeal by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fourth_Circuit Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals] in a decision upheld by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States Supreme Court] in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snyder_v._Phelps Snyder v. Phelps]''. In June 2007 [[Shirley Phelps-Roper]] was arrested in Nebraska and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The arrest resulted from her allowing her eight-year-old son to step on the American flag during the demonstration, which is illegal under Nebraska law. The defense contends that the child's actions were protected speech, and that the state law is unconstitutional. The prosecution claimed the demonstration was not intended as political speech, but as an incitement to violence, and that Phelps-Roper's conduct might also constitute [[Child Abuse|child abuse]]. Prosecutors later dropped charges against Phelps-Roper.

On two occasions, the church accepted offers for radio air time in exchange for canceling an announced protest.[[File:Westboro - Sows Wed.jpg|thumb|WBC members picketing with their distinctive signs]]
===Anti-gay picketing===
While being filmed by documentary film-maker [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Theroux Louis Theroux], they picketed a local appliance store because it sold Swedish vacuum cleaners, which the church viewed as supportive of gay people because of Swedish prosecution of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85ke_Green Åke Green], a pastor critical of homosexuality.

The church has picketed, or threatened to picket, productions of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Laramie_Project The Laramie Project]'', a stage play based on the murder of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard Matthew Shepard], whose funeral they also picketed.<ref name = Shepard></ref>

On January 25, 2004, Phelps picketed five churches (three [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic Catholic] and two [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episcopal_Church_%28United_States%29 Episcopalian]) and the Federal Courthouse for what he said was their part in legitimizing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage same-sex marriages] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa Iowa]. A community response was to hold counter-protests and a multifaith service in the municipal auditorium. On January 15, 2006, Westboro members protested a memorial for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Sago_Mine_disaster 2006 Sago Mine disaster] victims, claiming that the mining accident was God's revenge against America for its tolerance of homosexuality.
===Funeral pickets===
The group came into the national spotlight in 1998, when it was featured on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN CNN] for picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laramie,_Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming] who was [[Gay Bashing|beaten to death by two men because of his homosexuality]] in one of the first homophobic [[hate crime]]s to gain national attention. Since then, the church has attracted attention for many more actual and planned funeral pickets.<ref name = Shepard>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45968606 Matthew Shepard: The murder that changed America], ''BBC News''</ref>

In 2003, they enetered the spotlight again when they picketed the funeral of beloved children's show host Fred Rogers.

In July 2005, the Westboro Baptist Church declared its intention to picket the memorial service of Carrie French in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise,_Idaho Boise, Idaho]. French, 19, was killed on June 5 in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkuk Kirkuk], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq Iraq], where she served as an ammunition specialist with the 116th Brigade Combat Team's 145th Support Battalion. Phelps Sr. said, "Our attitude toward what's happening with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War the war] is the Lord is punishing this evil nation for abandoning all moral imperatives that are worth a dime."

In 2006, Westboro picketed with banners saying "God hates fags" and "Thank God for dead soldiers" at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster,_Maryland Westminster, Maryland], funeral of Matthew Snyder, a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Marine U.S. Marine] who was also killed in Iraq. Ruling on a subsequent lawsuit filed by Snyder's father, Albert Snyder, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Supreme_Court U.S. Supreme Court] decided, 8–1, that Westboro's actions constituted protected free speech.<ref>[https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/03/06/-Snyder-vs-Phelps-Supreme-Court-protects-hateful-speech-near-funeral/58271299402300/ Snyder vs. Phelps: Supreme Court protects hateful speech near funeral], ''United Press International''</ref>

In 2007, the church picketed the memorial service of famous televanglist Tammy Faye Bakker. Calling her a "False Prophetess" and an "adultress" who they believed had lied to gay people about God loving them.

On February 2, 2008, the group picketed during the funeral of former [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints LDS Church] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Church president] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_B._Hinckley Gordon B. Hinckley] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City Salt Lake City], Utah, displaying picket signs intended to criticize him for being a "lying false prophet" and "leading millions of people astray". The organization also criticized Hinckley for being too accepting of gay people, accusing him of having an ambiguous voice about homosexuality rather than taking a firm stand against it. Police had difficulty determining whether the demonstration met the guidelines of protected free speech.

Westboro picketed the funeral of recording artist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson Michael Jackson] after his death on June 25, 2009.<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Members of Westboro have also recorded a song titled "God Hates the World", an adaptation of Jackson's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charity_single charity single] "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World We Are the World]".

In May 2010, Westboro picketed the funeral of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_music heavy metal] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer singer] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_James_Dio Ronnie James Dio] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles Los Angeles].<ref>[https://www.nme.com/news/music/black-sabbath-127-1296754 Ronnie James Dio’s funeral to be picketed by anti-devil religious cult], ''NME''</ref>

In January 2011, Westboro announced that they would picket the funeral of Christina Green, a 9-year-old victim of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tucson_shooting 2011 Tucson shooting]. In response, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona Arizona] legislature passed an emergency bill to ban protests within 300 feet (91 m) of a funeral service, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucson Tucson] residents made plans to shield the funeral from protesters.<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>The church canceled plans to hold a protest during the memorial at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Arizona University of Arizona] in exchange for air time on radio talk shows. According to university officials, between 700 and 1,200 students amassed to counter four WBC picketers who appeared at the campus after the event. Jael Phelps explained to Louis Theroux in her ''America's Most Hated Family in Crisis'' interview that she and the other members of the WBC picketed at the funeral of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim Muslim] man's wife simply because the man had witnessed and scolded them for intentionally [[Quran Burning|burning a copy of the Quran]] in public a week earlier.

Later in March of 2011, the church picket the funeral service of congresswoman and Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, due to the fact that Ferraro was a member of the Roman Catholic Chrurch.

On October 5, 2011, Fred Phelps' daughter, Margie, announced via her [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter Twitter] account that the church would be picketing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc. Apple Inc.] founder [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs Steve Jobs]' funeral. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_News CBS News] and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post The Washington Post]'' noted the irony in the fact that Margie used an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone iPhone] to create the tweet. While they did not picket Jobs actual funeral, they did picket a memorial service for him in southern California.

The church announced on December 16, 2012, it would be picketing at the funerals of the victims of the [[Adam Lanza|Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]].

On April 6, 2013, the church announced it would picket the funeral of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert Roger Ebert], calling him a "fag enabler". However, Ebert's funeral occurred, as planned, on April 8, 2013,<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>and no one from the church was observed to have been present, or to have protested.

On April 15, 2013, the church posted a press release to its [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter Twitter] account in which it thanked God for that day's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Marathon_bombings Boston Marathon bombings], and announced its plan to "picket the funeral of those killed". Pointing out that the federal government is classifying the bombings as a terrorist attack, yet is being unclear about whether it is of a "domestic or foreign nature", the release went on to claim to answer the question with, "Here's a hint — GOD SENT THE BOMBS! How many more terrifying ways will you have the LORD injure and kill your fellow countrymen because you insist on nation-dooming filthy fag marriage?!" By early the next morning, nearly 4,000 people had signed a ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_People_%28petitioning_system%29 We the People]'' petition on the White House website asking for the banning of such demonstrations by the church at victims' funerals. Additionally, a posting that same day on a Twitter account affiliated with the hacker group [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29 Anonymous] warned that Church leaders would be targeted if they made good on their threat to picket the funerals.<ref name = Anonymous>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterpavlo/2012/12/18/anonymous-hackers-target-westboro-baptist-church-after-protest-plans/ Anonymous' Hackers Target Westboro Baptist Church After Protest Plans], ''Forbes''</ref>

On May 20, 2013, the church tweeted praising God for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Moore_tornado 2013 Moore tornado] and that they would protest the funerals of the victims.

===Protests against Jewish institutions===
In 1996 Phelps led a protest at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Holocaust_Memorial_Museum United States Holocaust Memorial Museum] in Washington, D.C., proclaiming:
Whatever righteous cause the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism Jewish] victims of the 1930s–40s [[Nazi Party|Nazi]] [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]] had (probably minuscule, compared to the Jewish Holocausts against [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Passage Middle Passage] Blacks, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans African Americans] and Christians—including the bloody persecution of Westboro Baptist Church by Topeka Jews in the 1990s), has been drowned in sodomite semen. American taxpayers are financing this unholy monument to Jewish mendacity and greed and to filthy fag lust. Homosexuals and Jews dominated [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany Nazi Germany] ... The Jews now wander the earth despised, smitten with moral and spiritual blindness by a divine judicial stroke ... And God has smitten Jews with a certain unique madness ... Jews, thus perverted, out of all proportion to their numbers energize the militant sodomite agenda... Jews are the real Nazis. WBC was present at a 2002 Holocaust memorial dedication in Topeka, proclaiming "God Hates [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Judaism Reform Judaism]".

On May 8, 2009, members of the church protested at three Jewish sites in Washington, D.C., including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Defamation_League Anti-Defamation League] (ADL) offices, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Holocaust_Memorial_Museum U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum] and the city's largest synagogue. Margie Phelps, daughter of Pastor [[Fred Phelps]], led the protest, holding signs stating that "God Hates [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel Israel]", "Jews Killed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus Jesus]", "America Is Doomed", "Israel Is Doomed", and "ADL Jew Bullies". The protest was apparently part of a series of upcoming protests which the church has planned at Jewish institutions in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha,_Nebraska Omaha], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis,_Missouri St. Louis], South Florida and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence,_Rhode_Island Providence]. The group reportedly posted a list of the upcoming protests' locations and dates, along with the statement "Jews Killed the Lord Jesus."<ref>[https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2017-03-28/ty-article/westboro-baptist-church-pickets-yeshiva-university-with-jews-killed-jesus-signs/0000017f-e0f4-d75c-a7ff-fcfd29d20000 Westboro Baptist Church Pickets Yeshiva University With 'Jews Killed Jesus' Signs], ''Haaretz''</ref><ref>[https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/jewish-news/extremist-christians-god-hates-jews Extremist Christians: 'God hates Jews'], ''The Jerusalem Post''</ref>

In an interview, Margie Phelps said that her church was targeting the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jews American Jewish community] because church members had "testified" to Gentiles for 19 years that "America is doomed" and that "Now it's too late. We're done with them." She also claimed that Jews were "one of the loudest voices" in favor of homosexuality and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion abortion], and that "[Jews] claim to be God's chosen people. Do you think that God is going to wink at that forever?" Phelps concluded by stating, in an apparent reference to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation Book of Revelation], that all the nations of the world would soon march on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel Israel], and that they would be led by President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama Barack Obama], whom she called the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antichrist Antichrist]".<ref name = AC>[https://fox4kc.com/news/westboro-baptist-church-obama-antichrist-protest-fails/ Westboro Baptist Church ‘Obama Antichrist’ Protest Fails], ''Fox 4 Kansas City''</ref>
===Other protest activities===
On January 26, 2008, WBC traveled to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,_North_Carolina Jacksonville, North Carolina], home of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Lejeune Camp Lejeune], to protest the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps United States Marine Corps] in the wake of the murder of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Lauterbach Maria Lauterbach]. Five women protested, stomping on the American flag and shouting slogans such as "1,2,3,4, God Hates the Marine Corps". A group of over 40 counter-protesters arrived and one spat in Shirley Phelps-Roper's face. Another counter-protest was held across town, which attracted over 150 counterprotesters.

On May 14, 2008, two days after the deadly [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Sichuan_earthquake 2008 Sichuan earthquake], WBC issued a press release thanking God for the heavy loss of life in China, and praying "for many more earthquakes to kill many more thousands of impudent and ungrateful Chinese".

On May 29, 2011, the WBC intended to protest in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joplin,_Missouri Joplin, Missouri], at the memorial service for the victims of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Joplin_Tornado May 22, 2011, tornado] that leveled large portions of that town. Those intending to protest the memorial service or President Obama's speech given there, or both, were refused entry into the venue by hundreds of local and regional residents, including a large group of bikers from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Guard_Riders Patriot Guard Riders].

On May 30, 2011, the WBC was present at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_National_Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day Memorial Day] services as part of their "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" campaign. A counter protest included members of the [[Ku Klux Klan]].

Eleven-year-old brain tumor victim Harry Moseley raised £500,000 for charity but Marge Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church criticized his family for not teaching him to "obey God". This comment within a few hours of the boy's death caused great distress to the bereaved.

The WBC announced its intent to protest December 19, 2012, at funerals of victims of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]. The online hactivist group [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29 Anonymous] and several other groups responded by organizing a human wall to shield the victims' families. The WBC then left the area without engaging in any protests.<ref name = Anonymous></ref>
===No shows===
The church has occasionally issued press releases threatening to picket sensitive events such as funerals and memorials without following through. Examples include the funerals of Elizabeth Taylor, Betty Ford, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Paterno Joe Paterno], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bragg#Events_of_note Roy Tisdale], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Susan_Powell Charlie and Braden Powell],<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs Steve Jobs], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston Whitney Houston], and victims of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-35W_Mississippi_River_bridge_collapse I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse].<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Margie Phelps later claimed over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter Twitter] to have protested Houston's funeral and uploaded an image showing WBC protestors there. However, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Ledger Star-Ledger] reporters later stated that no WBC protestors had been present, leading to allegations of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_manipulation photo manipulation].