HUDSON COUNTY — Can you feel the hate tonight? As mentioned in earlier up-to-the-minute news posts, the Westboro Baptist Church, an independent group from Kansas run by family members of Fred Phelps, came to Hoboken on Tuesday and planned to visit Secaucus and Jersey City on Wednesday to protest Jews, homosexuals, corruption, and many other things they hate. They are known for even protesting at American soldiers’ funerals, believing that the war is punishment by God for all the sins that we are committing on earth.
The protest ended up being rather small, with only a handful of haters showing up.
Although many area leaders encouraged Hudson County residents to ignore the protesters when they came here, a counter-protest formed at Hoboken City Hall Tuesday night. One fellow brought a sign that said, “God hates circus peanuts,” apparently showing how silly he believes the church is — or perhaps exhibiting a very liberal reading of Genesis 1:12.
The Hoboken police appear to have done an excellent job of maintaining the peace between both sides and trying not to look bored.
The counter-protestors sang “This Land is Your Land” and attempted John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
Watch the video at the “Hoboken Journal” blog HERE. WARNING: Content on some of the signs may been deemed highly offensive (not the circus peanuts one).
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