Students Rally Against Church Praising Students' Deaths
Posted: 4:56 pm CDT April 10,
2008Updated: 4:56 pm CDT April 10,
2008
MENOMONIE, Wis. -- Students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout on Thursday rallied against members of a church, known for their appearances at funerals, who made a planned visit to the university to protest the deaths of three students who died in a house fire last week.
Matt Westenal, a student at the university, said members of the Westboro Baptist Church, of Topeka, Kan., gathered at the university to thank God for the fire that killed the students.
April C. Englund, 21, of West St. Paul, Minn., Amanda Jean Rief, 20, of Chaska, Minn., and Scott A. Hams, 23, of Hayward were killed when fire swept through a two-story house near the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus early Saturday.
All three appeared to have died of smoke inhalation, and Menomonie police chief Dennis Beety said the fire was a "horrific and tragic accident."
Using the social networking Web site Facebook.com, Westenal said students organized the counter protest within 24 hours.
Video posted to YouTube.com shows students and church members engaged in verbal assualts, carrying signs.
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