By Stacey Barchenger and Scott Gunnerson, FLORIDA TODAY

COCOA BEACH -- Two types of signs could be spotted outside the junior/senior high school here on Wednesday afternoon, spreading messages like, "God loves all his children" or "God hates proud sinners."

The latter group, held by four members of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, also spread the church's anti-gay message. Many used derogatory language.

The members of the Topeka, Kansas, church protested twice in Brevard County on Wednesday: First on Clearlake Road in Cocoa near the University of Central Florida's Clark Maxwell Jr. Lifelong Learning Center and then in front of Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School.

Each time they were far outnumbered by a group of about 50 counter-protestors carrying signs with messages like: "God loves all. Love is love" and "Westboro = cowards." Another called for "Respect" using rainbow colors.

Among the counter protestors in Cocoa was military veteran Barbara Kilgore, who served in the Marine Corps and Army and attends the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cocoa.

She disagreed with the Westboro group's anti-gay message.

"I would like to stand on the side of love," said the 51-year-old Kilgore. "I believe that all people are created equal whether they are gay, straight, bi or whatever."

Dawn Morton held a sign in Cocoa Beach while on a lunch break. She believes society is just getting to a point where young people can be open about their sexuality without facing bullying, and she hopes to encourage that.

"I think this sets it 10 giant steps back," she said of the Westboro protest.

At one point, the group in Cocoa Beach turned their backs on the Westboro contingent, locked arms and sat down. While seated, they sang "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner." The Westboro group changed the words to popular songs, by artists like Lorde (a supporter of the LGBT community) and Eminem, to spread their message.

People shot photos and video on cellphones. Someone drove by with a rainbow flag sticking from their sunroof. Two girls kissed after cheering the departure of the Westboro protesters. School Principal Tim Cool shuffled students who peered from a breezeway back from view.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokeswoman for the Westboro church, said she and her family — including a sign-waving 6-year-old — came here because "universities and high schools are the No. 1 places used to teach rebellion to these children." That rebellion, she said, is promiscuity and same-sex marriage, among other things.

At each protest site the Westboro members were also outnumbered by police, who reported no incidents at the protests.

In Cocoa, about a dozen police and campus security officers from Eastern Florida State College maintained a 200-yard separation between the two groups. In Cocoa Beach, about as many police and school district officials were on scene to stand guard.

The Brevard County School District took precautions to make sure students would not be bothered by the protestors, shifting parent pick-ups to a new location. Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High students were instructed not to talk to protestors or counter-protestors. Shuttles were arranged to get students who walk or ride bikes safely off campus.

That was not necessary, however, because the Westboro protestors left before school let out at 2:15 p.m. An announcement over a loudspeaker shortly before dismissal thanked students for their cooperation.

"Everything's business as usual," a man's voice said.

Contact Barchenger at 321-242-3669 or sbarchenger@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @sbarchenger. Contact Gunnerson at sgunnerson@floridatoday.com. Or follow him on Twitter at @ScottGunnerson.