One Direction was the latest target for picketing members of the Westboro Baptist Church, but when the group arrived at the U.K. boy band's Kansas City, Mo. concert July 19, member Harry Styles took to Twitter to fight against the group's hateful messages.
As WBC supporters arrived carrying signs reading "God Hates the UK," "God Hates Sluts," and "United U Fall," Styles tweeted: "Despite the company outside, I believe in equal rights for everyone. I think God loves all."
"Thanks for coming to the show though," he added sarcastically.
"If @Harry_Styles had one drop of love for fans...he'd say "God does h8 proud sinners!" WBC later tweeted in response.
The Westboro Baptist Church first announced plans to picket the band's Missouri show last month, angered by the groups' on-stage antics.
"These freaks and their fans think it's funny for these five perverts to grab each other's asses on stage," the statement read. "They glamorize sin and make a mock of God's standards. Their one purpose is to encourage the youth of this generation to pursue every lust their evil hearts can imagine."
They also referred to the 1D bandmates as representations of the "sin-chasing, fag-enabling, God-hating, Christ-rejecting" U.K.
And One Direction is not the only music act facing protest from Westboro. The group also recently targeted Train, Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees and New Kids on the Block, according to the Huffington Post.
They also recently called out Styles' ex Taylor Swift, making plans to protest her Aug. 3 show at the same arena.
"[Taylor Swift] works her 'girl next door' country-singer shtick, while hopping from one young man to the next and strutting across the world stage like a proud whore," WBC said of the "I Knew You Were Trouble" singer. They also referred to her as a "poster child for the young whores of doomed-america."
