Community Responds in Best Way Possible As Westboro Members Try to Protest Slain Officer's Funeral

After the Westboro Baptist Church announced it would protest the funeral of slain Omaha police officer Kerrie Orozco, community members came up with a plan to fight back.

Clothed in blue t-shirts, approximately 100 individuals arrived Tuesday morning where they unfurled white sheets with blue stripes in front of Westboro members to shield their signs from the funeral procession.

The counter protest was organized by Kate Kielion, the daughter of a retired officer.

[sharequote align="right"]“Everyone should be able to grieve in peace.”[/sharequote]

“Everybody just came together,” the 33-year-old told Omaha.com. “Everybody wanted to help. Our purpose was to hide the hate and show the love, and that’s what happened.”

Others told the local news website why they participated.

“We’re all in this together,” Josh Swafford told Omaha.com. “Everyone should be able to grieve in peace.”

“I might not know Kerrie, but we are all human,” Lynette Nolan echoed. “Nobody deserves that.”

Orozco was shot and killed last week while trying to serve an arrest warrant. She was scheduled to pick her newborn up from the hospital the next day.

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