Notorious group fails to show up to stage protest of Gallup Diocese By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola Gallup Independent correspondent religion@gallupindependent.com December 29, 2014 GALLUP — About 40 community members braved Sunday’s bone-chilling temperatures in an effort to demonstrate love in the face of hate. But as it turns out, that was unnecessary as members of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church turned out to be no-shows in their own scheduled protest. The small church from Topeka, Kan., which has gained national notoriety for linking its vociferous anti-gay rhetoric to its protests of U.S. military funerals, had announced it would stage a protest in front of the Diocese of Gallup’s chancery offices from noon to 12:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the Westboro group, the protest was a response to the updated list of names of 30 clergy sex abusers recently released by the Gallup Diocese. By noontime, Gallup attorney Patrick Mason, a member of the Knights of Columbus, stood with about 20 local residents in front of the empty chancery offices, waiting for the Westboro protesters. Mason said another 20 people were stationed several blocks away at Gallup’s Sacred Heart Cathedral. Many in Mason’s group held large crucifixes, images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or signs saying “Jesus Forgives & Heals.” “It’s a good contrast to their hatred,” Mason said, explaining his group was planning to offer a peaceful response to the “vitriol” of the Westboro group. Church support Javier Moreno, Jaffane Camarena and Maggie Sanchez, all parishioners at St. Francis Parish, said they came out to support their church. Sanchez, who explained she has a brother in the Navy, said, “Everybody deserves forgiveness from God, and I support the diocese. No one deserves to be judged.” “They’re not God,” Sanchez said of the Westboro group. “They’re not Jesus.” “God isn’t about hate,” Rae Vargas-Ruiz said. “God is about love.” Vargas-Ruiz, a volunteer religious education teacher and lector, said she learned about the counter-protest by word-of-mouth. “We didn’t come out here to be mean, just to support the church,” she said. “If we all believe in Jesus, then what they’re doing is totally wrong,” Julian Ruiz said. “To me they’re just a radical cult.” Marty Esquibel held one of the “Jesus Forgives & Heals” signs. “There’s enough hatred in the world without them throwing more at it,” he said. Michael Schaaf, who was carrying another sign, said if the Westboro church members were really Christians, they would love others and show compassion. “They seem to be a hate group,” Schaff said. Inflammatory and vulgar Indeed, the Westboro Baptist Church, which is not affiliated with any Baptist denomination, is frequently described as a hate group. Its many websites feature inflammatory and vulgar rhetoric against pretty much everyone that doesn’t subscribe to its narrow brand of religion – other Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and, of course, the gay community. In addition to picketing funerals of U.S. service men and women, the church pickets funerals of celebrities and victims of tragic accidents or crimes. Bill Swift, a non-Catholic and a self-described “rebel rouser,” said he came to support Sunday’s counter-protesters because of his opposition to the Westboro group. “What they’re doing is wrong,” Swift said. Esquibel said he came as a Knights of Columbus member. “It’s the duty of the Knights to protect the Church and its beliefs and its people,” he said. Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney also joined the counter-protesters as city police units patrolled the neighborhood between the chancery and the cathedral. “They’re true Americans,” McKinney said of the people gathered outside the chancery. “I respect every one of them.” Both Esquibel and McKinney noted that veterans have fought to protect the rights of American citizens to peaceably protest, a right that the Westboro group uses to their legal advantage when they protest military funerals. Prayerful presence When it became clear that the Westboro church members were not going to arrive, the local group outside the chancery began to disband. “I don’t think they’re very good at logistics,” Mason said of the Westboro members, noting that the group’s “poor planning” had them scheduled to stage a protest at Christ’s Church of Flagstaff at 10 a.m. and then arrive in Gallup at noon — a driving distance of three hours. In addition, the Westboro group had two more distant church protests slated for early Sunday evening. They were scheduled to be north of Albuquerque at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Bernalillo from 4:30 to 5 p.m., and then south of Albuquerque at San Clemente Catholic Church in Los Lunas from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Mason was asked if he thought the Westboro group might eventually arrive in Gallup and stage a protest later in the afternoon. “They can protest empty buildings all they want,” he said. The Rev. Matthew Keller, rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral, ended the counter-protest gathering with a closing prayer. “We wanted to have a prayerful presence,” Keller said in remarks afterward. “I’m happy it was a non-event.”

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