Prior to their arrival on campus Monday for a planned protest, members of the Westboro Baptist Church picketed in front of Grace Bible Church and St. Mary’s Catholic Church Sunday evening.
Lt. Chris Perkins of the College Station Police Department said CSPD officers were alerted by Westboro prior to the demonstration and planned accordingly.
Perkins said CSPD designated each side of Nagel Street as a protest area and communicated with the church on what they would be doing.
“The main thing is to let them demonstrate as long as they are doing it within the rules and everything stays on the up and up,” Perkins said.
The Rev. David Konderla said St. Mary’s encouraged students not to engage the group.
“Their position is not one that we agree with,” Konderla said. “It’s best to ignore people who say that they hate other people.”
The protest at St. Mary’s began following 5:30 p.m. Mass. Some students wandering in and out of the church stopped to view the protest.
“I wanted to see if they’d actually show up,” said history freshman Angela Martillotti.
Students have organized via Facebook to counter-protest the church’s campus presence Monday. Elyssa De Caprio, biomedical science freshman and organizer of Monday’s Maroon Wall 2.0 event, said a mock yell practice will be held on Simpson Drill Field from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Westboro Baptist representatives picket outside of St. Mary’s Catholic Church Sunday evening.
Photo by Tanner Garza