Westboro Baptists ‘booking flights’ for Johannesburg to protest Mandela’s funeral

[kpete]

...the church says it is buying plane tickets to South Africa and is hoping to coordinate with South African police while they stage a protest at the funeral, citing Mandela’s divorce and remarriage as evidence of damnation.

The Westboro Baptist Church has gained international infamy for picketing the funerals of dead soldiers with offensive signs such as “God hates f*gs” and is widely considered to be a hate group. WBC founder Fred Phelps is — perhaps surprisingly — a veteran of the civil rights movement, but the group’s more offensive picket signs and statements may run afoul of South Africa’s limitations on free speech. The 1996 constitution contains more protection for free speech in law and practice than most countries in Africa, but “advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm” is not protected.



http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/07/westboro-baptists-booking-flights-for-johannesburg-to-protest-mandelas-funeral/

[Autumn]

1. I hope they arrest their sorry asses. Lock them up for 27 years

[Drew Richards]

2. Lets hope so. SA doesnt put up with their shit they will be dead or in jail when they land

[Brother Buzz]

3. The church says....

I'll believe it when they debark in Johannesburg. Of late, these shitheads are showing up at only a fraction of the events they say they are going to protest; all hat and no cattle.

[Demo_Chris]

4. Best news of the day! nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. I'm willing to bet money there isn't a SINGLE protester at Mandela's funeral...

From the Westboro Idiot Church or anywhere else.

[backscatter712]

9. Any time there's pushback, the cowards of the WBC chicken out.

I've seen it a few times.

[cherokeeprogressive]

16. I think their 15 minutes have long since ended.

Seems lately I hear more about the protests they threaten than the protests they actually engage in.

[gcomeau]

6. I wonder how many will make the flight back... -eom

[Xithras]

7. Oh please!

Many black South Africans look on Mandela with an almost deified reverence. They will KILL the WBC protesters...and I doubt the SA police would even TRY to stop them.

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. they are a busy bunch, said they were going to picket paul walkers funeral

[elfin]

10. Not gonna happen, but IF it does

I think the SA police will "coordinate " them somewhere extremely uncomfortable, if not fatal.

[liberalmuse]

11. And yet, everytime these asshats so much as fart...

the media is right there to pick up the story. They won't be at the funeral, but they don't have to be, because every time the media publishes their press releases, it stirs up outrage which in turn pollutes the ether, and that is the aim of this pile of toxic waste.

[Heather MC]

12. I wonder how many rotten tomatoes can we get shipped to the funeral in time for their arrival?????

With a note that says
Only Open if Westboro Baptist Church Protest
You will know what to!

Love America
Ps
Consider this our Sincerest Apology

[NaturalHigh]

13. I saw this on another thread.

I still think they're bluffing. It's hard to believe that even the Phelps clan could be so incredibly stupid.

[CJCRANE]

14. Bye WBC. Safe Journey.

Been nice knowing you.

[Initech]

15. Ok let's get a petition going to make sure they can't get back in the US.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

17. IF they dare to do it, this could spell end of Westboro

I could see militants in Soweto taking matters into their own hands.