McLean funeral unscathed by hate group

-No signs/banners/flags
-No music/yelling/loud noises
-No confrontations, verbal or physical

This was proclaimed on the thin pieces of paper being distributed by the friends and family of Tim McLean on the day of his funeral. All they wanted was to be able to say goodbye to Tim on their own terms, and not be disturbed while doing so. What any family would want in the situation. Hundreds of supporters gathered on the sidewalks happily complied with their wishes.

Tim McLean, 22, was killed on July 30 near Portage La Prairie. Vince Weiguang Li, 40, has been charged with second-degree murder. McLean was stabbed, beheaded and partially consumed onboard the bus.

The tragic incident quickly garnered international attention, including that of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a tiny yet vocal group out of Topeka, Kansas who are notorious for picketing funerals.
Fred Phelps, WBC founder, was featured in a video on the church’s website on August 1.

“…keep as far away from them (Canadians) as you can. You might find yourself decapitated,” Phelps said. “The rule of law has broken down in fag-run Canada.”

Phelps goes on to inaccurately declare “It is against the law to read the bible in Canada.”

Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Fred Phelps, told CTV.ca that members of the church would be present at McLean’s funeral to demonstrate against McLean’s “filthy way of life.”

The idea that the WBC would come to violate the sanctity of the funeral was too much to handle for some, and a massive counter-protest was quickly organized on Facebook. The counter-protest aimed to ensure that the WBC did not interfere with the funeral. Approximately 700 people arrived at the Westwood Community Church, many because of the Facebook invitation.

Participants at McLean’s funeral had a couple of things on their mind: to give the family support and respect, and to keep them safe. This meant that some people were unwilling to talk with the media, like one organizer who was helping direct the crowd.

He said he was there to “provide a peaceful barrier between the cemetery and the picketers, to ensure there is no physical or verbal interaction.”

He was worried talking to the media would “glorify the situation.” This was a popular stance for people to take, the feeling that reverence should come first. That reverence never as palpable as when some of the family and close friends came out of the church to give the crowd their thanks.

“Even though you didn’t know him, that’s great that you came down. Thank-you,” they said with tears streaming down their cheeks.

By the time the funeral started at 4:00pm, the mass of counter-protesters were surrounding the church, mostly across the street to allow unobstructed access for the family. They even stayed off the sidewalks.

While a few energetic volunteers helped promote the idea to stay a respectful distance away, it was the police who mainly maintained the order. Roughly a dozen police cruisers, wagons and ghost cars were in the immediate area, along with constables on bicycles and even officers with binoculars were on the roof of the church. While their presence was unmistakable, it was completely professional. One officer mentioned how they were there just in case things got “active.”

Thankfully there was no activity in that sense, but there was a sense of camaraderie.

Amalia Grey, one of the organizers of the counter-protest, said that one the biggest reasons they wanted people to gather was “to show solidarity for the McLean family, and to prevent the family from seeing or hearing the WBC.”

Counter-protester Jeff Bromley came to the gathering because he felt the need to show the WBC they had no place there.

“We all have family… we all feel it. I’d like to slap them (the WBC) but this presence is a bigger slap. We need to practice restraint.”

This feeling of restraint was shared by fellow counter-protester Bryce Doell.

“It’s a good thing they didn’t show up. If they did show up we would be peaceful, but I would love to walk up to one and crack them… but that’s not good,” he said.

The general feeling of the crowd was one of quiet respect, but there was also an underlying tension. Nobody wanted to see a confrontation and almost everybody was willing to step in and solve things non-violently. The plan was for a human chain to be formed to block access to the church without verbally or physically interacting with the WBC.

With the great number of counter-protesters, the WBC would not have gotten even close.

By 5:30 p.m. the service was complete and the participants left the church. Everybody on the street quietly observed them. It was the last possible chance for a picketer to show themselves, but none came.

The crowd broke up soon after, some people departed feeling relief, some feeling minor disappointment they didn’t get the chance to rush to the rescue. Most left with warm regard for everybody attending.