Ska band Less Than Jake (playing in New York this summer!) had a run in with the Westboro Baptist Church this week, according to a press release we just received, along with several reports on the internet. Drummer Vinnie Fiorello says they "have no idea" why they were attacked, and added, "Less Than Jake doesn't exactly send parents running for cover. The fact that we do have a certain amount of obscenity and are fairly liberal could and obviously did ruffle some Christian feathers." But... aren't there bands that are ruffling more Christian feathers than this '90s ska troupe? Is this some sort of publicity stunt for Westboro to win over other ska-haters (aka normal America)? more ›

Hikind also called Phelps-Roper a "whore" (you can see video below). Yeshiva World News reports that the Westboro protesters' minivan's tires were slashed: "They were seen a short while later getting their flat fixed at a local tire-repair shop. 'The only thing I’m sad about, is that all four of their tires weren’t slashed', Dov Hikind told YWN." more ›

How quickly a year goes by: The Westboro Baptist Church, paramours of a particularly hysterical brand of hatred, are back in town tomorrow, protesting at synagogues, Jewish centers and LGBT events across the city. Along for the ride with their anti-semitic, anti-homosexual rhetoric will be plenty of counter-protests; hopefully they will be able to liberate Ozzy Osboure's songs from their clutches. In case you're in the area and are interested in joining the counter-protests, Westboro are expected to be protesting outside these locations in Brooklyn—Chabad of Kensington (1:30-2:00PM), Yeshiva Torah Temimah (1:30-2:00PM), Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin (2:15-2:45PM)—and Manhattan—Hebrew Union College (3:30-4PM) and Tribeca Rooftop (5:15-6PM—the PFLAG awards are being held there). more ›

The Westboro Baptist Church hates Catholics, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Michael Moore and homosexuals. But you know who they seem to not mind so much? Ozzy Osbourne. The hate group was in Washington yesterday, where the Supreme Court was hearing arguments on whether the church's practice of picketing military funerals with anti-gay placards is protected under free speech. While protesting outside the court, the Westboroians launched into a slightly re-worded version of Osbourne's classic, "Crazy Train," updated to fit their anti-gay rhetoric: "You're going straight to hell on your crazy train." more ›

Our favorite Kansans are coming back to Brooklyn this Monday! No, not Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh, whose indelible prog rock riffs carried "Carry On My Wayward Son" and "Dust In The Wind" to the uppermost reaches of the charts—The Westboro Baptist Church, who are making their annual Jew-hating sojourn as part of their "Godsmack Tour." The only question: will Limp Bizkit be opening for them, or will they be opening for Limp Bizkit? more ›

Yesterday, the zany zealots of Kansas's Westboro Baptist Church were in Brooklyn, bringing their brand of hate to a few synagogues. And, like at Westboro's earlier protests, there were many more counter-protesters present (example: dog wearing a "Dog Loves Fags" sign vs. Westboro's "God Hates Fags" sign). more ›

Here's a nice sweet story for a change: Beth Elohim, the Park Slope synagogue targeted by the Westboro Baptist Church, will be holding its Yom Kippur services at Park Slope Old First Dutch Reformed Church. Apparently the synagogue had suffered a partial roof collapse on Thursday, and needed a place to go for Yom Kippur, Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn tells us. Pastor Daniel Meeter of OFDRC offered Beth Elohim the use of his church for the holy day — even though it's a Sunday. Makes up a little bit for the harassment Beth Elohim is getting from those other "Christians." more ›

The five people from the Westboro "Baptist" "Church" who picketed Brooklyn Tech yesterday were drowned out more by the hundreds of Tech students, counterprotesters, and Brooklynites chanting "We Love Jews" and shouting "Go Home" to the freaks from Topeka, who were outnumbered more than forty to one. The Times' Fort Greene blog noted that "many if not most" of the counterprotesters were students who had organized by "word of mouth and Facebook status." You do need something to do in Health class. more ›

The kooky Kansas "church" famed for its God-hates-fags message will be harassing Brooklyn Tech after school today and three synagogues on Saturday. Their spokeswoman, Shirley Phelps-Roper, also issued a contemptuous put-down of Brooklyn— asked whether she feared violent confrontations at the picketing locations, she replied: “Don’t flatter yourself, Brooklyn. We serve the living God. You mess with us, you’ll get double destruction for what you do.” more ›

A small but well-publicized group of homophobic, anti-Semitic Baptist zealots from Kansas brought their dumb message of hate to Manhattan this weekend, standing around with inflammatory signs like "The Jews Killed Jesus" outside a West Village synagogue that caters to gays and lesbians. But instead of straightening out the gays and bringing the Jews to Jesus, these hateful hayseeds actually succeeded in helping out one of their targets, the Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, which turned the demonstration into a fundraiser! more ›

Bearing signs that read "You Will Eat Your Babies" and "Fags Doom Nations," members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church showed up at gay-friendly The Congregation Beth Simchat Torah in the West Village ready to give its members a piece of their mind. Westboro member Steve Drane told NY1, "Anywhere where God's word needs to be preached to an unrepentant generation, that's where we'll be." This weekend marks the first that the church led by Fred Phelps is expanding its anti-gay crusade to now include Jews as well, for reasons such as their exceeding tolerance of homosexuality and abortion to their lack of repentance for killing Christ. While only a handful of Westboro members made it out today, hundreds including Speaker Christine Quinn faced off with them in a counter-protest, where members of the temple were encouraged to keep their message positive when addressing the visitors, particularly while speaking to the press. more ›