WBC message fails to divide Pitt protesters
By Sarah Shearer | For The Pitt News
October 9, 2017
Donning a rainbow flag in the rain at a counter protest last Thursday on the corner of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard, Hannah Riley said the Westboro Baptist Church’s planned visit to Pitt wasn’t shaping up to be violent. “I think this one, if it happens, will be more intense because WBC is [an...
‘It rained for a reason:’ Westboro Baptist Church ends protest early, one counter protester arrested
By Bailey Frisco / Staff Writer
October 5, 2017
The Westboro Baptist Church cut its planned protest route short Thursday for reasons unknown to Pitt. “All we know is they didn’t come,” University spokesperson Joe Miksch said in an email. The Westboro Baptist Church protesters — four women toting multiple signs each — arrived at the cor...
Dear WBC: Hate doesn’t have a home here
By Sarah Shearer | For The Pitt News
October 4, 2017
It only takes reading a few sentences into the “about” page on the Westboro Baptist Church’s website to understand one thing: this is a group fueled by hate. The WBC is well known for its protesting tactics, picketing at events from military funerals, such as Sgt. Dillon Baldridge’s in No...
SGB, Rainbow partner for fundraising counter protest
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
October 4, 2017
Max Kneis, president of Pitt’s Student Government Board, requested a moment of silence for those injured and killed in Las Vegas at the beginning of the SGB meeting Tuesday night. Nordy’s Place was momentarily suspended in silence — before Kneis transitioned to the topic of the “hateful...
Pitt, Rainbow prep for Westboro protest
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
October 4, 2017
With the Westboro Baptist Church planning to protest on Pitt’s campus Thursday, the University and campus organizations are preparing. The WBC is known for its hateful speech against the LGBTQ+ community, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Jews and American soldiers. According to its onlin...