The morning started out with rain, but the weather did not deter counter demonstrators who came to show opposition to a protest organized by Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. The first stop on the picket schedule was outside First Baptist Church on Green Street.
Westboro Baptist Church brought two groups to Gainesville to protest outside six different churches.
This young boy was one of the protesters who traveled from Kansas with Westboro Baptist Church for Sunday morning protests in Gainesville.
Cowbells and handmade signs were part of the day's gear for counter protesters on Sunday morning. These people stand across the street from St. John Baptist Church on Butler Parkway.
Counter demonstrators watch as members of Westboro Church protest outside of First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville.
Veterans, students, members of Gainesville's LGBTQ community and others were among those counter demonstrating during Sunday's scheduled picketing outside six Gainesville churches. The group is shown here across from St. John Baptist Church on Butler Parkway.
Counter demonstrators wave at at Georgia State Patrol helicopter surveying the area around St. John Baptist Church Sunday morning.
Westboro protesters hold signs across the street from St. John Baptist Church.
During a Sunday morning protest, a Westboro Church member displays messages he wants church members in Gainesville to see.
A protester holds signs on E.E. Butler Parkway across the street from St. John Baptist Church in Gainesville.
A Westboro member stands along South Enota Drive outside of First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville Sunday morning. The group was taking its protest to the Super Bowl in Atlanta following the three hours of protesting in Gainesville.
Gainesville police blocked Washington Street and Boulevard to through traffic around Grace Episcopal Church while the demonstration was underway.
Members of Grace Episcopal Church trickle out onto the porch of the church to watch protesters and counter protesters.
The members of Grace Episcopal Church rang the bells of the church non-stop for the 30 minutes the picket event went on outside their church.
Members of Westboro Church end their demonstration outside Grace Episcopal Church as law enforcement watches closely.
This woman, wearing a rainbow flag as a cape, traveled to six Gainesville churches to counter demonstrate against a picketing event organized by Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. Westboro is outspoken against LGBTQ rights; the rainbow flag is used as a symbol of gay pride.
Counter demonstrators wore clothing with rainbows and messages of love in support of the LGBTQ community. Westboro Baptist Church preaches against homosexuality in its protests across the nation.
A Grace Episcopal Church choir member surveys the protest and counter demonstration from the front porch of the church on Sunday morning.
Members of Westboro Baptist Church brought two groups to Gainesville Sunday morning to protest against six churches.
Members of the Young Democrats of Hall County hold signs as they counter demonstrate the picketing of Westboro Baptist Church outside of six Gainesville churches.
Westboro members, despite being outnumbered by counter protesters, were no dissuaded from their mission to picket six different Gainesville churches on Sunday morning.
A child watch counter demonstrators across from Grace Episcopal Church on Sunday morning.
The most vocal counter demonstration took place at the corner of Washington Street and Boulevard on the edge of the Brenau University campus, which is located right across the street from Grace Episcopal Church. Students and faculty from Brenau joined the traveling counter demonstrators at the site.
This little girl was among a group of about 100 counter demonstrators across the street from Grace Episcopal Church.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office and the Gainesville Police Department provided security for the six churches on the Westboro picket schedule.
Counter demonstrators line up on the corner of Washington Street at Boulevard in opposition to a picket event by Westboro Baptist Church.
As Westboro protesters demonstrate outside Grace Episcopal Church, counter demonstrators gather at the corner of Washington and Boulevard at the edge of Brenau University's front campus.
Counter demonstrators unfurl their signs across from Grace Episcopal Church on Sunday morning.
The morning of protests comes to an end on South Enota Drive outside of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas and counter demonstrators spent three hours Sunday morning traveling to six different churches in Gainesville.
Three Westboro Church members walk from First Presbyterian Church to the sidewalk across the street from St. Michael's Catholic Church to continue their demonstration.
Members of several groups combined to protest against the messages being preached by Westboro Church members in Gainesville on Sunday. The group is pictured here across the street from St. Michael Catholic Church.
Counter demonstrators cheer as the Westboro Church group ends its morning of protests outside Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on South Enota Drive.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/2/759630/westboro-church-begins-gainesville-protests-but-outnumbered-by-counterprotesters