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Monday, January 2, 2012

Occupying the Westboro Baptist Church's Protest at the TicketCity Bowl in Fair Park

Football fans who came to Fair Park for the Houston-Penn State match-up at the Cotton Bowl couldn't help but see the sideshow: As promised, the Westboro Baptist Church showed up at the TicketCity Bowl to remind sports fans that God hates them, Joe Paterno, the Pope, gays, Obama ... pretty much everyone. But Fred Phelps' clan, which has added a "God Sent the Drought" sign to its ever-expanding inventory, wasn't alone: They were met by around 40 counter-protesters, some from Occupy Dallas splinter group OccupyNow. The counter-protesters greeted the WBC's infamous "God Hates Fags" signs with a few of their own. There was also some light heckling and a little same-sex heavy petting.

"We're out here to protest hate in all its forms," said 21-year-old Kooper Caraway of OccupyNow.

"And we're here to draw attention to hate-mongering," said Whytney Blythe, 22, also of OccupyNow, "Which is part of what's perpetuating the issues we're facing today. Living in a fear-based system is unhealthy for everyone. And it's also important to be at the protests against Westboro to show support for the victims that they might target."

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