Funeral protest: Arizona rallies to foil Westboro Baptist Church.

Funeral protest plans by Westboro Baptist
Church of Topeka, Kansas, have been met
with defiance in Arizona. Tuscon residents
say they'll block the protesters from
getting to the mourners of Saturday's mass
shooting. The state legislature has also
passed a law to help.

Tucson, Ariz.
Plans by the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka,
Kansas, to picket the funerals of Saturday's
shooting victims are being met by a concerted
effort by citizens and lawmakers to keep
protesters at bay.
State lawmakers Tuesday passed legislation that
makes protests illegal within 300 feet of any
home, house of worship, cemetery, or funeral
home just before, during, or after a ceremony or
burial.
Tucson residents also sprang into action when
news of the planned protests spread. Many
intend to meet the picketers with human
barricades and some say they will wear oversize
“ angel wings” to shield mourners from seeing the
protesters along the funeral routes.
IN PICTURES: Unusual Churches
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies are
preparing to implement extra safety measures at
the various funeral sites in the next few days to
ensure that the protests and counterprotests
don't get out of hand.
“We’re going to take every precaution we can to
make sure there is no violence,” says Deputy
Renee Carlson of the Pima County Sheriff’s
Department. “We’re going to make sure that
everybody is safe at these events.”
The controversial church, which is comprise
mostly of the Rev. Fred Phelps and members of
his family, believes that God is punishing America
for its growing acceptance of gay rights by killing
US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The group
also protested the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards,
wife of former presidential candidate John
Edwards.
The US Supreme Court is considering a case
against the church's practice of protesting
funerals, brought by the father of a US marine
killed in Iraq.
Some Tucsonans, still grieving over the mass
shooting, which left left six dead and 14
wounded, including US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
(D), say pickets at the funerals would be vile.
“I don’t understand the logic; we have a tragedy
here,” says Phyllis Beckert, who with her
husband, Mal, paid her respects Tuesday at a
memorial of flowers, candles, and get-well
messages in front of Congresswoman Giffords’s
Tucson office. Doctors say Giffords, who was
shot in the head point blank Saturday, is
breathing on her own and is alert and responsive.
Lizette Fimbres, a dental assistant, stopped by the
makeshift shrine during her lunch break to write a
note to the congresswoman. She finds hard to
believe that anyone would protest at any funeral.
“That’s just insane,” she says.
The first scheduled service, for 9-year-old
Christina Green, is scheduled for Thursday
afternoon at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Classes at the church school have been canceled.
Around the lunch hour Tuesday, a group of law
enforcement agents arrived to inspect the
grounds and meet with church workers.
Christina had gone to Giffords's meet-and-greet
event Saturday with a neighbor, Susan Hileman.
The girl and his wife were holding hands when
they were shot, Bill Hileman said at a news
conference Tuesday.
Ms. Hileman, who was shot three times,
survived.
His wife and the little girl "were generationally
apart, but birds of one feather," Mr. Hileman said.
The law passed Tuesday intends to keep
protesters away form the funeral. "This act is an
emergency measure that is necessary to
preserve the public peace, health, or safety and is
operative immediately as provided by law," the
new law states.

Source: Http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0111/Funeral-protest-Arizona-rallies-to-foil-Westboro-Baptist-Church