Members of Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, an organization classified as a hate group and monitored by the Anti-Defamation League, came to River Forest to protest Dominican's production of The Laramie Project, a play about the life and brutal death of University of Wyoming student who was gay.

Photos by JOSH HAWKINS/Staff Photographer

After five meetings and detailed planning by both River Forest police and Dominican security personnel, the school was more than ready Sunday when, shortly before 2 p.m., six adults and one small child got out of a minivan on Division. One man took a dozen color signs from a cloth satchel and passed them out. Separated by sections of temporary chain link fencing, yellow caution tape and police and campus security, the group moved along an 80-foot section of sidewalk, quietly holding up signs.

"God Hates You," one sign read. "Matt Shepard: 10 years in hell," read another. "Obama: The anti-Christ," read a third.

The child, about 5 years old, only his eyes visible under a jacket hood and ski mask, carried a smaller sign that said, "Fags doom nations."

A quiet opposition

Dominican sophomore Jaron Salazar was originally cast in The Laramie Project production, but had emergency appendix surgery in December and was forced to drop out. When he heard Westboro protesters would be arriving, he decided to organize a counter protest.

"I knew what happened with our brothers at Northern Illinois University," he said, referring to Westboro demonstrators who mocked the deaths of five NIU students killed by a gunman in a lecture hall on Feb. 14, 2008.

"God sent the shooter and worse and more is coming. They don't love Christ," The Daily Illini quoted one Westboro Church member as saying.

"I was appalled by that," said Salazar. "I felt the need to do something and stand against them."

"I want to send a message out that this community doesn't accept their views," he said.

Salazar took the idea to Dean of Students Traci Goggins, who was both enthusiastic and supportive.

On Thursday, Salazar and three other students either in the play or in the protest sat down with Wednesday Journal to express their thoughts and feeling on the production and the hate demonstration.

Junior Kendall Monaghan, who plays the police officer who first comes to Shepard's assistance, as well as other parts in the play, said she first saw The Laramie Project in a directing class a few years ago.

"We were just completely blown away," she said.

"It's a very powerful show," said senior Amy Dettmann, who also plays numerous roles in the play.

"The beauty of it is that it's real people," said Dettmann. "And it's still going on in today's society," said Monaghan. "The hate."

The four agreed that while the play is about a gay man, the main issue is not homosexuality.

"Hate is the main issue here," said Dettmann.

Sophomore Jamie Zwijack, who worked with Salazar to organize the counter protest, said she's had experience with nonviolent protest. But she and Salazar joined the other "peace bearers" in a 1 p.m. meeting Sunday before the counter protest to make sure they stayed focused and disciplined.

"As I participate in this demonstration today, I will be nonviolent in my spirit and in my actions," read a brief vow each protester was handed. "By my presence and nonviolent action, I will honor those who have suffered at the hands of hatred, violence and oppression."

Sunday afternoon, 150 feet away from the hate demonstration, on a large swath of grass inside the school's large circular driveway, about 150 people, including university President Donna Carroll, formed a human peace sign. A hundred feet to the west, another 15 people stood in silence with their backs turned to the demonstrators.

Greg Weiss, who spent his day as River Forest deputy police chief helping oversee the event, noted that the scene was "eerily quiet." With the exception of the occasional low murmur or the scrape of shoes on the sidewalk, there was little sound. No exchanges between the two groups, no shouts or chanting.

In the end, the only thing the two groups agreed on was that it was too cold to spend an entire hour outside demonstrating. At 2:35, a woman led the child to the van as others packed up the signs and followed. Seconds later the minivan drove off.

"The Westboro people have left," said Madonna Thelen, Dominican's director of Service Learning and head of the demonstration monitors. The crowd erupted in cheers and clapping. "Thank you all for your witness to peace."

David Gayes, a Dominican sophomore, had sat in his wheelchair, heavily bundled against the cold, a part of the human peace sign throughout the demonstration.

"I'm just glad to support the really good cause of nonviolence," he said, echoing his classmates. "And against oppression, too."

A short while later, inside the theater, the play went on without interruption before a sold-out house.

"We're just here to tell a story, and an important one," said Dettmann.