This Saturday, thousands of mourners congregated in Orlando, Florida to say their final goodbyes to Christopher Andrew Leinonen, one of 49 club-goers murdered by shooter Omar Mateen, the man who opened fire on the gay nightclub Pulse last weekend.
Related: Westboro Baptist Church Sides With The LGBT Community On The Kim Davis Issue
Predictably, there were also a handful of antigay activists in the crowd, including members of Westboro Baptist Church. Fortunately, their guttural gay hatred was successfully shielded by a team of intrepid counter-protesters from the city’s Shakespeare Theater, who succeeded in blocking their presence with their long billowy “angel wings.”
It’s a strategy that’s been used before, as early as 1999, when Westboro was effectively blocked from picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man murdered in Laramie, Wyoming for being gay.
How about we take this to the next level?
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People wore giant angel wings & stood in front of the Westboro Baptist Church so family members wouldn’t see them @ the #Orlando funerals ??
— Calum McSwiggan (@CalumMcSwiggan) June 20, 2016
According to Jim Helsinge, artistic direction of the theater, “Angel wings are meant as a loving support to the fallen, not to create more anger or violence.”
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Other counter-protesters held signage that read “OrlandoStrong,” held up rainbow banners, or sang “Amazing Grace.”
As The Washington Post reports, the crowd cheered as the people dressed as angels made their first appearance.
“We couldn’t even hear WBC,” said one attendee on Facebook. “All you could hear was peace and love.”
Westboro protesters have left the state & no plans to return. Thank you to those who met protest with grace & love. pic.twitter.com/PZJ9F9MB9S
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 18, 2016
People cheer as tiny group of Westboro Baptist Church protesters leaves. Also thank @OrlandoPolice #OrlandoStrong pic.twitter.com/BXHYthWnyU
— Joey Flechas (@joeflech) June 18, 2016
Amazing grace against Westboro Baptist Church. pic.twitter.com/jmkpZdRefF
— Alex Harris (@harrisalexc) June 18, 2016
So hateful Westboro Baptist tried to disrupt Orlando funerals. But hundreds blocked them, some dressed as angels ?? pic.twitter.com/ICyTtOAgqZ
— Shadi Rahimi (@shadirahimi) June 18, 2016
Mo Bro
But who’s going to protect us from that other religious group—you know, the ones who actually want to kill us?
Time to wake the uck fup, people, and arm ourselves against those who wish us dead, else we end up like the Orlando victims.
Billy Budd
@Mo Bro: Idiot. The answer is disarmament. No more guns to the people, especially big guns like and AR-15.
rjmaquay
@Billy Budd: disarmament that’s always work. Lol. Yokay.
Mo Bro
@Billy Budd: Right, because terrorists are always discouraged from murder by gun laws.
Sorry, but your “gun-free zone” signs and “coexist” bumper stickers don’t mean shit to those who want you dead. I understand such realities tend to send you screaming to your safe space, but dems de facts.
Alistair Wiseman
@Mo Bro:
“The answer is disarmament.”
Fortunately, the Founders gave us a Constitutional right called the Second Admendment.
MyDadPulledOut
@Mo Bro: donald trump. Hillary’s closest advisor is a member of the muslim brotherhood.
MyDadPulledOut
@Alistair Wiseman: shut up stupid. this has nothing to do with gun control.
Alistair Wiseman
@MyDadPulledOut:
Pumpkin, read my post again. I am pro-Second Amendment and said nothing about gun control.
Dave Downunder
@Mo Bro: “But who’s going to protect us from that other religious group—you know, the ones who actually want to kill us?”
Apparently the orange Oompa Loompa with a little help from the Lollipop Guild and a Ha – ha – ha, Ho – ho – ho – And a couple of tra – la – la’s.
Louis
This was beautiful such a lovely sentiment a true act of love to combat the recent horrific hate committed by another so called human being.
As far as gun control it is desperately needed in this country more guns are not a solution to less gun violence.
Just my opinion.
Mo Bro
@Dave Downunder: Bravo, my friend, bra-fucking-vo. At last, someone with independent thought.
Mo Bro
@Louis: But Louis, surely you acknowledge that had someone in Pulse been armed and ready to take action, there would be many less grieving families this week.