Gainesville is expecting guests this weekend, whether they are welcome or not.
About 10 members of the Westboro Baptist Church will visit four Gainesville locations starting at noon Sunday: Trinity United Methodist Church, the UF Hillel, the Queen of Peace Catholic Church and the Saint Augustine Catholic Church.
The 70-member church travels the U.S. year-round protesting Jews, homosexuals, Catholics, Muslims, African Americans and parents of American soldiers.
Student Government Student Alliance party Sen. Alan Yanuck, who passed a resolution April 7 condemning the church’s views, said students who oppose the group should just ignore them.
“[Church members] go from place to place trying to get people to protest them, and that’s exactly what they want,” Yanuck said.
UF Associate Dean of Students Paige Crandall said students will gather Sunday for a counter-rally, “Love Conquers Hate: A Rally for Human Rights.” The event will include speakers, tables for protesters to hand out fliers and music. It will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Bo Diddley Community Plaza.
“It’s going to be a way for people to gather and show that we definitely do not support what the Westboro Baptist Church is saying,” Crandall said.
