Occupy Seattle is counter-protesting the Westboro Baptist Church's demonstration at the funeral of the two murdered boys in Washington State.
This just in from Seattle Occupy:
On Saturday, February 11th a memorial will be held at Life Center Church for the community in mourning after the brutal slayings of Charlie and Braden Powell, ages 7 and 5 by their father, Josh Powell. As the Cox and Powell families and the community as a whole expresses their grief and attempts to heal after this horrific tragedy, Westboro Baptist Church, made famous by their slogan "God Hates Fags," has decided to capitalize on these sad events by bringing their unique brand of hate to Washington.
Margie Phelps, a prominent member of the church, has informed the world via Twitter that they will be demonstrating at the funeral of these boys.
Occupiers join in the grief of this community that has been rent apart by this recent tragedy, and oppose WBC in their attempt to further their bigoted agenda. A call to action has been issued: we must shield the family from their disruption.
While the Phelps clan will arrive in order to shock and dismay funeral-goers with their slogans of hate, organizers are calling for Occupiers and all Washingtonians in the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area to come to the location of the service, not to disrupt it, but to protect it from Westboro's abhorrent message.
The service starts at 11AM, so counterprotesters, should they choose to attend, should arrive early, around 9:30 to 10:00AM in order to screen mourners from WBC. Things to bring:
1. Blankets, tarps, and signs with messages of support. We will use these items to screen WBC to prevent them from traumatizing mourners already in the throes of grief.
2. Compassion, respect, and dignity. Instead of shouting slogans as Occupiers are wont to do, we are not here to create a loud disruption, but instead prevent WBC's message to disturb the funeral. Bring the lyrics to "Amazing Grace" or other songs of comfort from other cultures and religions.
Together, Occupiers can help protect this community which has been torn by tragedy.
Portland and Seattle
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