Westboro Funeral Protest Blocked in Missouri

Hundreds of residents and helpers from miles away joined forces Saturday in Weston, Mo., to block a protest by the antigay Westboro Baptist Church at the funeral of a fallen soldier.

According to Fox 4 in Kansas City, members of the group, some of whom came from as far away as California and Australia, wanted to allow loved ones of Sgt. First Class C.J. Sadell to say goodbye in peace. Sadell died last month from injuries he sustained during an ambush in Afghanistan.

Weston resident Rebecca Rooney said she wanted to stand up to Fred Phelps and his church, who are the subject of a Supreme Court case for their protests that claim soldiers' deaths are divine retribution for the culture's acceptance of gay people.

"If you think about it, they've all gone to serve just so we could be able to do this," said Rooney, an organizer. "He didn't die in vain."

Watch the video.