Military Funeral Protest Announcement by Westboro Sparks Yucaipa Outrage

The announcement that representatives of Westboro Baptist Church plan to stage a protest near the Friday memorial service for a Yucaipa soldier killed in combat earlier this month has sparked outrage locally, and among those who have heard of the extremist group before.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which is contracted to provide police services in Yucaipa, will have extra personnel on duty Friday in response to the protest announcement, Cindy Bachman of the sheriff's Public Affairs Division said.

"Captain Lee Hamblin says he and other personnel are aware of the possibility for a protest, and there will be extra people assigned to address any issues that may occur," Bachman said Thursday in a phone interview.

Westboro Baptist of Topeka, Kansas, is led by a man named Fred Phelps and includes members of his family, according to previous church statements. In 2011 the church estimated it had about 40 members.

Whether representatives of the extremist group show up in Yucaipa or not, the announcement of their intent to protest near the service for Army Pfc. Nathan Tyler Davis has ignited a firestorm of concern in and around this community just east of Redlands.

Westboro Baptist is known for protesting at military funerals and for their extremist stands against homosexuality. Phone and email messages seeking comment from Westboro Baptist representatives were not returned Thursday.

The Westboro group has been involved in anti-gay protests since the early 1990s, and by 2006 the group was spending an estimated $250,000 annually on protests, according to a report by The Guardian of England.

Their controversial stands have been met over the years by frequent counter-protests. The website BuzzFeed has a page devoted to "The 30 Best Anti-Westboro Baptist Church Protest Signs."

Davis, 20, of Yucaipa was fatally injured June 9 in Tore Obeh, Afghanistan, when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb during combat operations, the Defense Department reported last week.

The memorial service for Davis is scheduled to begin 1 p.m. Friday at Yucaipa Christian Church, 12954 Bryant St. Burial service is scheduled at Sunnyslope Cemetery, 40 S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Beaumont.

According to the Westboro Baptist Church website and a press release, people representing Westboro Baptist intend to gather at 10:15 a.m. "in respectful, lawful proximity" to the memorial service at Yucaipa Christian Church.

Davis was assigned to the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. His remains were returned to the U.S. on June 11.

For a previous Redlands-Loma Linda Patch report on the Westboro protest announcement,.

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