Anti-Gay Protesters
Show Up For Soldier's Funeral
By AP from
theindychannel.com on the Web, July 16, 2006
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Staff Sgt.
Paul S. Pabla |
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HUNTINGTON, Ind. -- A wall of United
States flags and the roaring of a motorcycle engine shielded mourners at the
funeral of an Indiana soldier killed in Iraq from anti-gay protesters Saturday.
Counter-protesters carrying United States flags stood with their backs to
members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, blocking the protest from
the view of those attending the funeral of Indiana National Guard Staff Sgt.
Paul S. Pabla at Huntington North High School.
The church members -- five women and one man -- were restricted to an area taped
off by police under a new state law that requires protesters to stay at least
500 feet from funeral proceedings.
The Westboro Church contends U.S. soldiers are being struck down by God for
defending a nation that tolerates homosexuality.
Pabla, 23, died July 3 when he came under attack while on foot patrol in the
northern Iraq city of Mosul. He was a member of the Kempton-based 139th
Field Artillery but was deployed with the 150th Field Artillery from
Bloomington.
About 80 officers from various police agencies maintained a buffer between
protesters and counter-protesters, including veterans and the Patriot Guard
Riders, a national group formed to offset Westboro Baptist Church protests.
"It's disturbing," said Seth Marshall, a Marine Corps veteran who filled his
nearby yard with U.S. flags. "And it's disturbing, tying this in to the
church. There's nothing Christian about it."
At one point, when several people in the crowd were becoming agitated, Marshall
rode his motorcycle into the street between the two groups and started the
engine so that its roar drowned out the voices of demonstrators. He kept
the motor going for about 30 minutes.
Police said two men from the crowd were taken into custody but later released.
Police Chief Terry Stoffel said the men became enraged when protesters stomped
on U.S. flags.
Police Capt. Tom McCutcheon said one of the men charged the protesters, and the
other threw a water bottle at them.
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