Miami Protests School administrators stress student safety
An infamous church known for picketing the funerals of fallen servicemen, voiced its message at local schools last week.
The controversial Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) appeared locally to protest at Oak Hills High School, the Ohio State University and Miami University Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Miami University was targeted as a protest site after a member of the religion department contacted the church to speak at the school for a class on religious extremism. The instructor then backed down in fear of campus-wide conflict.
"Miami University is the home of the First Amendment-hating cowards who have no courage of their convictions regarding academic freedom and worse and more, you hate God," as stated on WBC's website godhatesfags.com .
Patriotic chants erupted in front of the Shriver Center at MU as hundreds of counter-protesters rallied against WBC.
The protest — titled "Unite Miami: Love is our Resistance" and which lasted from 4:15 p.m . until 4:45 p.m . — evoked many emotions within the student body.
"I get really amped up about their signs that say ‘Thank God for dead soldiers' and ‘Thank God for 9/11," said Tyler Saint Germain , a first-year MU student studying urban and regional planning. Saint Germain counter-protested in support of his best friend's brother, who is currently serving in the military. "The fact that they say that makes me so upset."
Administrators at MU advised students to ignore the protest, sending an email to the entire student body saying counter-protests would only fuel their motives.
"We received emails telling us not to come, but I think this is an accumulation of people who are just kind of wanting to see it, anyway, out of curiosity," said Freeland Oliverio , a first-year English literature student at MU.
The event not only drew students, but also a group known as the Freedom Riders — a motorcycle enthusiasts group who escort military funerals, many times in response to Westboro picketing — to Miami's campus.
Restricted by metal railings, WBC members waved signs while shouting anti-gay and anti-America rhetoric.
Police officers closely regulated where counter-protestors could stand and the event ended with the church members quietly getting back into their vehicle.
The visit from the controversial church garnered action from MU's Associated Student Government ( ASG ).
The ASG commissioned a campaign called "We Got Your Back," which aimed to educate students about how to respond nonviolently to the church's provocative language, according to the ASG's website.
"My fear is that a lot of people are going to take this as a joke or game and [drink] beforehand and go drunk and cause trouble, so we could be proactive and get our students to sign this pledge to stay away from [the WBC]," said ASG Treasurer Michael Trivelli .
The event resolved peacefully, with no violence or conflict.
"I'm just happy nothing happened that would embarrass the university," said Will Taylor, a Miami second-year economic students.
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