Brooklyn to Westboro Protesters: Fuhghettaboutit

Hundreds of students from Brooklyn Technical High School drove back a protest on Thursday from five members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who left earlier than scheduled because they were severely outnumbered.

The Topeka, Kan.-based church led by Fred Phelps targeted the prestigious public high school in the Fort Greene neighborhood, as well as three synagogues, to teach them "what good looks like," according to The New York Times.

But the presence of nearly 200 students in a peaceful counterdemonstration overwhelmed the five protesters, who left the area 15 minutes before their protest, originally scheduled to last 40 minutes, was slated to conclude.

"Brian Benavides, a Brooklyn Tech student, said news of the Westboro protest had been spread among his classmates by word of mouth and through Facebook status," reported The New York Times. "The alert evolved into a counterprotest."

New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn, an out lesbian, was among the elected officials who issued statements condemning the Westboro Baptist Church for its hate speech.