Which church protests military funerals

An eight-justice majority on the Court ruled that the protests, while hurtful, were permissible under the Constitution. One justice, Samuel Alito, dissented from the majority saying the "vicious verbal assault" imposed "great injury" to Snyder. First Amendment advocates hailed the court for separating the emotionally charged nature of Westboro's message with the fundamental right to free expression.

It is the Supreme Court standing up and giving constitutional protection to extremely unpopular speech. It's really what the first amendment is all about. American Civil Liberties Union legal director Steve Shapiro said the court rightfully and respectfully acknowledged the Snyder family's grief. Snowe, who has complained about the partisan divide in Washington, expressed gratitude to Congress for passing the bill "to protect the solemn moments of military funerals from outside disruption.

The Westboro church, led by pastor Fred Phelps, believes God is punishing the United States for "the sin of homosexuality" through events including soldiers' deaths. Members have traveled the country to protest at military funerals and other events, evoking outrage by shouting at grieving families and displaying such signs as "Thank God for dead soldiers," "God blew up the troops" and "AIDS cures fags.

Funerals are one of the few events where "people will take a really serious look at really moral matters of heaven and hell," Drain said. The purpose of the church's protests was to influence the people attending the funerals, he added. The new restrictions expand on provisions in a federal law passed in that banned protests within feet of national cemeteries from an hour before a funeral to an hour after it, with violators facing fines and up to a year in prison.

Last year, the Topeka, Kansas, church won an appeal at the U. In a related matter, the United States Supreme Court protected the right of the Westboro Baptist Church to engage in lawful protest outside a church in Maryland in Snyder v. Phelps Albert Snyder sued the Phelpses for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and civil conspiracy.

The Fourth U. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed on appeal. The U. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. He also emphasized that the protestors conducted themselves peacefully on public streets pursuant to police directives and followed the laws.

David L. Hudson, Jr. This article was originally published in Members were outnumbered at the funeral by advocates , who sang Christmas carols and held signs of support for the Edwards family. The high court decided in an decision that the church's actions were protected under free speech. Westboro has picketed numerous military funerals dating before and after Snyder's. Follow lindsdee on Twitter.