SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Westboro Baptist Church has gained notoriety for their protests targeting the LGBT community and other minority groups. They also show up at the funerals of fallen U.S. troops....

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Westboro Baptist Church has gained notoriety for their protests targeting the LGBT community and other minority groups. They also show up at the funerals of fallen U.S. troops.

The group out of Topeka, Kansas, is not affiliated with any national Baptist organization, but they are a known extremist hate group as deemed by the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Westboro members are now planning protests at El Cajon Valley High School and Monte Vista High School in East County San Diego on Monday.

News 8’s Richard Allyn spoke with El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells about his reaction.

Wells said he has no idea why Westboro has targeted the schools and says he can’t imagine what they might be interested in.

He said the group will be provided a “free speech” zone to have their say. The group purports to be a Christian organization despite their messages of hate.

“It’s really hard for me to balance what they are doing with Christianity,” said Wells. “Nothing I know about Christianity speaks to this at all.”

Local activists have planned a creative counter-protest - calling it a “Rainbow Dance Party Parade” - outside El Cajon Valley High School to decry Westboro’s actions.

“I understand that people feel like they have to take a stand and if that’s what you want to do, then go ahead and do it,” said Wells. “From my point-of-view, as a psychologist, I would say don’t feed into the negative energy. Don’t give them what they’re asking for, which is a lot of negative attention.”

El Cajon Police plan to be on hand at the school Monday to keep the peace.