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Students hold counter protest in support of gay rights

VICKSBURG, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Students at Vicksburg High School held a counter-protest outside the school on Tuesday afternoon.

They say they are fighting back against a small group of anti-gay protestors that have been picketing at the school for the last few days.

No one at the high school is really sure why the group has been coming to the school, picketing with signs with an anti-gay message.

Members of the group told Newschannel 3 that they are Christians from Scotts and they were back at the school Tuesday.

On the other side, however, dozens of students flooded out to the front of the school when classes ended with signs promoting tolerance and gay rights.

Students said they didn't want anyone at the school to feel bullied or intimidated.

They did, however, confront the two members of the other group that were there, and Vicksburg Police were on the scene helping keep the two sides apart.

We talked to both sides about what they wanted to accomplish.

"We don't want to see our fellow students being told these things and as a unit, we just want to show our fellow students we support them," said Makena, a Vicksburg student.

Protestor Sarah McKenzie said that she "(wants) them to turn from sin and wickedness and turn their lives over to God."

"If we can do that, it will be safer, better for everyone as a whole," she continued.

McKenzie said she came to Vicksburg High because she used to go to school there and because it was full of wickedness.

She said she was planning to come back at least for the rest of the week, but students contend that they too would come back while she was there.