• Posted on 05.31.11
• By Stephen C. Webster
• Categories: Activism, Featured

A protest by the infamous Westboro Baptist Church was not carried out in Joplin, Missouri on Saturday as planned after a large contingent of bikers showed up and flushed them out of a zone marked off for their demonstration.

The hate group, known for protesting soldiers returning from war, had planned their event to coincide with President Obama’s appearance at Missouri Southern State University, to memorialize the 143 confirmed to have been killed during recent storms.

As you can see from the video below, it did not turn out well for the protesters, as one — surrounded by police at the start of the footage — is forced to flee as hundreds of noisy bikers swept past the police line and occupied the protest area.

According to one first-hand account, it went something like this:

“When the police saw what was about to happen they grabbed him and tried to push the bikers back!! Then they told the guy “run you stupid mother fucker” And I am quoting!! We heard that more of them were blocked at a local truck stop by a few awesome truckers!! They pinned them in until it was over, not sure about this one just what we were hearing!! You may think of bikers as mean or lawless but when it comes to things like this they really step up!!!”

This video was published to YouTube on Saturday, May 29, 2011.