Westboro Baptist Church Photo at Manchester Police Department Sparks Controversy

As previously reported by Patch, in October, a handful of Wesboro Baptist Church members protested at Schroeder Park after an appeals court ruling in favor of the City of Manchester. The ruling was in regard to a lawsuit filed by Wesboro Baptist Church members challenging Manchester's funeral protest ordinance. The ordinance prohibits protests within 300 feet of a funeral one hour before and one hour after services.

FOX2 News reports that a recent Manchester city photography contest is now causing controversy after one of the top entries, portraying a Westboro Baptist Church protester from the October protest, was put on display in the city police department.

(View the FOX2 story and find out why the photo is being displayed.)

Westboro church members are known for their anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. soldiers, claiming the soldiers' deaths are a result of America's tolerance for homosexuality. 

Manchester Alderman Michael Clement posted a comment below in regard to the photo, what it represents to the city and why it is significant to the city's history.