Westboro Baptist Church, a group known for protesting at gay marriages and military funerals, targeted parishioners at four churches in California.
According to the United Press International, group members appeared at Salem Lutheran Church and School, First United Methodist Church, Glendale Presbyterian Church and Holy Family Catholic Community, all located in Glendale, Calif.
"They come out for the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes," Pastor Keith Banwart Jr. of St. Matthew's Church told KTLA Fox40. "They travel across the country protesting at churches, military funerals, believing that God's wrath is coming down on America and not allowing LGBT people to live in peace."
The eight members of the Westboro Baptist Church, were met with protesters waving gay flags and signs. To shield people from the hate and help them get into service at the Salem Lutheran Church on Brand Boulevard unharmed, members of the church formed a "wall of protection."
"These people want to show that God's love is bigger than the hate that may be displayed here this morning," Branwart said of the counter-protest, according to the UPI.
The Press reported that members of the Westboro Baptist Church played music and carried signs saying, "America is doomed" and "Abortion is murder."
"One of the things I say every Sunday morning is 'good morning saints, good morning sinners.' We carry the same hate in our hearts," Salem Lutheran Pastor Kurt Christenson told KTLA Fox40. "We know that the folks in Westboro are angry, and that comes out in hate. At this point I think they're just angry at everything. I think they're angry at the way America seems to be going. It's not like it used to be.
"They've decided they don't want to engage in conversation," he said. "They just want to yell and scream and protest. There is an opportunity to say at the end of the day that love is stronger than hate."
After protesting at Salem and the congregation turning their backs and walking into the church, the protectors moved on to First United Methodist on Kenwood Street. The picket is being labeled as the Golden Globes' protest, because of it's distance to where the award show took place in Beverly hills.
According to the Westboro Baptist Church's website there recent protest was aimed at "phony Christians and same-sex marriage."
KTLA Fox40 reported their next protest will be outside El Segundo High School.
