GLASGOW, Scotland — The U.S.-based Westboro Baptist Church, home of anti-gay extremists famous for their “Gods Hate Fags” demonstrations, blamed a deadly helicopter crash in Glasgow on Saturday on the country’s recent advancement of a same-sex marriage bill.
“God hates Scotland, where they marry fag beasts,” said the first of a series of anti-gay tweets.
The tweets came after news that at least three people died and more than 30 others were hospitalized after a police helicopter crashed into a busy pub in Glasgow.
Sources close to the investigation told the BBC that the final number of fatalities would almost certainly be higher.
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Following the crash, Westboro tweeted to Ruth Davidson, the openly gay leader of the Scottish Conservative Party: “How’s that fag marriage working out @RuthDavidsonMSP? #BloodOnYourHands.”
The church also “warned” of #WorseComing “Cuz Scotland’s shoving fag marriage in God’s face” in a tweet at Jim Murphy, Labour Member of Parliament, who voted in favor of Marriage Equality in the UK’s House of Commons earlier this year.
Subsequent tweets targeted advocacy group Stonewall Scotland, as well as Members of the Scottish Parliament, for their support of the marriage bill.
Westboro Baptist Church, classified as an “anti-gay hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), has a long history anti-gay picketing, demonstrations and protests. The SPLC calls Westboro “arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America.”
Earlier this year, Westboro blamed “fag marriage” via twitter as the “reason” behind the Boston Marathon bombing, which claimed the lives of three people and injuring at least 170 others.
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The Westboro church is not affiliated with the Baptist denomination or any other Baptist church. According to news reports, almost all of its members — fewer than 100 — are related to founder Fred Phelps either by blood or marriage.
Westboro Baptist Church members are banned from entering the United Kingdom since 2009 because of their practices.