[PHOTOS] Ryan Dunn Funeral Protestor Westboro's History of Notorious Pickets vs. Counter Protests

Following Ryan Dunn's tragic death in a car crash on Monday morning, one fringe Christian group has gained a heated attention, rather notoriously.

The Jackass star Ryan Dunn's Porsche veered off the road, shot through the woods and exploded into flames near Pottstown Pike in Pennsylvania, at around 2:30 a.m. on June 20. Dunn's blood alcohol content was reportedly .196, way above the legal limit of .08 in Pennsylvania. The official cause of his death was determined as blunt force trauma and thermal trauma.

As early as Tuesday, the Westboro Baptist Church proclaimed its protest at Dunn's funeral. WBC will picket any public memorial/funeral held for Dunn, warning all not to make a mock of sin, & to fear & obey God, the group said in a statement with a headline that reads, Ryan Dunn is in hell!

The Westboro Baptist Church is best known for its picketing at gay pride gatherings, military funerals, high-profile political gatherings, and even mainstream Christian gatherings and concerts. Often described as a hate group, WBC is headed by Fred Phelps and consists mostly of members of his large family. Phelps is a disbarred lawyer, and a past civil rights activist in Kansas.

The pickets by WBC is often welcomed by a counter-protest organized by Christian groups, LGBT organizations, and local activists. For example, Michael Moore organized a humorous counter protest against the church in 1999 for his television show The Awful Truth. He followed Phelps around the country in the Sodomobile, a pink bus filled with gay men and women. At one point, they even got out to meet Fred Phelps and Moore introduced the Sodomobile to him, according to Wikipedia.

WBC's objection to Ryan Dunn was that he was a drab pervert who hawked porn-level filth to get rich from a perverse generation.

Among many comments under the IBTimes article which covered WBC's intention to protest Dunn's funeral read:

To protest against any death is disrespectful, no matter what the circumstances. They are just trying to raise publicity for them selves, very shameful. The fact is Ryan is dead and it's his family and friends who are going to have to deal with the protest, isn't it enough punishment that ryan is no longer with them!

I don't understand why people decide to put Gods work into their own hands. I mean really WBC is not only disrespecting someone in an effort to save this world but they are also causing more hatred in our world. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but some things should just be kept to your self, because it's only an opinion not truth or fact nor justified.

I already think they have done enough to disrespect both Ryan and his family by saying Ryan Dunn is in hell!. They have no reason to say any such thing they knew him by what they saw him do in movies and on tv not as an actual person.

This is crazy! As a Christian, you fo not do this! Ryan was a funny man and deserves the right to a great baurial. It is not a punishment from god of his death! It was his time to go. These people calling themselves Christian baptist! They are a disgrace to god! Ryan Dunn will be missed and always loved. I don't know these peoples teachings but obviously they do not read the bible. Jesus died for all our sins... And if Ryan sinned right before his death, then he can answer for it. But I'm pretty sure he WILL be in heaven when we all get there.

WBC has successfully put itself in the midst of controversy.

Below are photos from the past protests by the WBC, coupled with counter-protests at the scenes of WBC pickets.

According to DellaVichia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc, services and interment for Dunn will be private. A public memorial service will be announced at a later date.