Atlanta high school students ‘swarm’ bigots

Hundreds of high school students and community members, many of them gay and lesbian youth and all of them opponents of lesbian/gay/bi/trans oppression, counter-demonstrated against seven members of the notoriously anti-LGBT and anti- Semitic Westboro Baptist Church on May 6 in Atlanta. Two of the seven were minor children, and the protesters said it was painful to see the right wingers use the children to carry their reactionary signs.

Photo: Project Q Atlanta

The students took over the street intersection near Grady High School, opposing the Westboro group’s messages of hate, oppression and bigotry. For two days, May 5 and 6, the right-wing group had aroused resistance at other Atlanta high schools, Jewish institutions and public venues. But this time the rainbow of youths at this midtown school responded in a highly organized fashion, declaring that their message of acceptance and love would triumph.

At one point, the crowd swarmed across the street. The Westboro reactionaries hastily left their corner and headed for their vehicle. The protesters stayed right behind them. Despite police efforts to get the students to disperse, the young people kept up their demonstration on a nearby busy street for several hours as motorists in passing cars honked and waved in support.