| ALBANY "Pray for more dead kids," Rebekah Phelps-Davis screamed, as her niece Sara Phelps stomped an American flag.
These were among the messages Friday morning outside Albany High School, where six adult members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, assembled to convey their disdain for homosexuality.
Across the street, hundreds of counterprotestors sang, shouted and raised signs promoting love and acceptance.
"Keep your religion out of my bedroom," said a handwritten sign held by 17-year-old Samantha White.
City police, who set up a fence around the Westboro group, stood in West Erie Street, which was closed to cars.
For years the church has staged protests at schools, theaters and sports events. Lately, they have protested at funerals for American soldiers killed in combat.
Westboro members identify themselves as Baptists, though the church is not affiliated with any Baptist organization. Phelps-Davis, daughter of Westboro founder Fred Phelps, was one of five family members who came to Albany. Their next target, a production of the "The Laramie Project" in Plattsburgh, examines the 1998 hate crime murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.
The Capital Region response had been building ever since Westboro announced early last month the group would bring its traveling protest to Albany High. Ministers and other members of the faith community called their effort "God is Love March 6, 2009 and Always." They held a candlelight vigil outside City Hall on Thursday night. Morning, noon and evening prayer vigils were planned in four churches on Friday.
The start of classes at the high school was delayed two hours so the protest wouldn't disrupt students. An hour after arriving at 7:15 a.m., the Westboro group packed up and moved to the University at Albany, setting up at the intersection of Fuller Road and Washington Avenue Extension.
About 50 counterdemonstrators gathered downtown at the SUNY Central building where the Westboro group had earlier announced it would picket.
Matt Drescher and Anthony Piparo of Cohoes held a banner depicting World War II Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima.
Drescher, 19, said Phelps' church picketed the funeral of his cousin, who died last summer in a car accident in Michigan soon after returning from deployment with the Army in Iraq.
"I still have a lot of family in the military, so that's why I'm here," Drescher said.
Many of the downtown demonstrators joined their allies up at UAlbany and stood on the corner opposite the Westboro contingent.
"We use words and do things you can't ignore," said Margie Phelps who motioned to the roaring crowd of opponents. "The irony is that they think they're hurting us. If they really wanted to do damage, they wouldn't show up. But the bigger the commotion, the more attention we get. More media, more photos, more coverage."
A car pulled up to the red light at the intersection. Herb Osborne stuck his hand outside and extended his middle finger toward the Westboro group.
Libby Phelps looked at him and smiled.
"Go to hell!" Osborne screamed.
Margie Phelps walked over.
"Is that where all the dead babies go?" she asked.
"I don't know," Osborne screamed. "Let me know when you get there!"
Jordan Carleo-Evangelist contributed to this report. David Filkins can be reached at 454-5456 or by e-mail at dfilkins@timesunion.com.
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