Westboro Baptist Church Plans to Protest Funerals for Orlando Shooting Victims

The notorious Westboro Baptist Church said it will protest the funerals of victims of the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando that left 49 victims dead.

The anti-gay church—known for protesting the funerals of U.S. service members and notable gay people—said in a statement posted on its website that “God sent the shooter.”

Orlando Police confirmed on Twitter that the department had received a letter from the church saying they planned to come. Despite universal condemnation across the political spectrum, local authorities have little recourse to stop the church’s protests. The Supreme Court upheld the group’s right to free speech in public places in 2011.