Anti-Hate Rally In Vancouver
Reposted from: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=61519955976
Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church have indicated their intention to protest Fighting Chance Production’s production of The Laramie Project on November 28. There is a peaceful anti-hate rally organized tonight to counter their actions.
The rally will be taking place at Grandview Park which is across from the Havana Theatre (1212 Commercial Drive). Look for the large rainbow flag at the Commercial Drive entrance to the park. The rally will officially get underway at 5:00 and run until about 7:00 to allow for The Laramie Project cast to get to the theatre on time for that night’s show.
The rally will go ahead as planned whether or not the Westboro Baptist Church is allowed into Canada, so please come out and show your support for our great city either way.
More info about the show that Phelps is protesting is here. Check out the event page and come see what Fred Phelps is making such a big fuss about!
We’d like to remind everyone that the evening’s events are all about peace, love, compassion, acceptance and unity and look forward to seeing you at this important event!
December 1st, 2008 at 12:51 pm
It also seems like it would be easier to ignore them,
rallying against their protest only gives them more attention, and more media…more power.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Yes, it would be ‘easier’ to ignore them, but that’s not going to make change happen. They needed to know what they were (planning on) doing was wrong, was hurtful, and people in this world are not going to stand for it. The fact that it got the attention of the media made sure they were not allowed in to Canada (or at least that’s what I heard) and so the play could proceed in peace and with the knowledge that their message was important to many people here in Vancouver, in Canada and in the world. We won’t stop hate crime, whether by individuals or groups like the Westboro Baptist Church, by staying silent. We need to make our voices heard. I love that the protest went on as planned, even though the Reverend was a no-show, and that it was only a rally of compassion and peace. A truly noble way to show our support for this important issue.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I agree, it was important for the rally to happen, regardless of whether the church members were there or not, or whether it gave the church more media attention or not. This was a way for the citizens of Vancouver to say to the world that as a community we do not accept this kind of hatred and will not allow it to happen in our city. Ignoring things like this is the same as giving your consent for them to happen.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Very valid points.
On the other side couldn’t ignoring them also give the message that you and your hateful opinions don’t matter to us?
Just a thought.
I’m glad that the Westboro Church didn’t show up, they shouldn’t have been allowed past the border, and that in return the Laramie Project has been getting a ton of publicity.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:19 pm
What my husband brought up that I hadn’t really thought of was a relation to the Civil Rights Movements, and I guess what I hadn’t thought of was what if no one had come to protest the KKK marches or rallies?
I guess I still see them thriving off the media, but being in the media and in the public’s eye is better than growing in numbers silently across the states?
December 1st, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Oh, absolutely! And I think this rally also brought a great deal of media attention to the fact that there are movements of people critical to the WBC agenda, which I think does a great deal to promote the importance of resistance, not to mention informing others about why the actions of this church are so deplorable.
As an aside, I’m not sure bringing media attention to the sort of far-right fundamentalism that the WBC represents helps their cause; I’d argue that it serves to illustrate just how preposterous their sort of extremism is.