Roger Ebert Funeral Protest [PHOTOS]: Westboro Baptist Church Threatened to Protest Chicago Memorial Service of Dead Movie Critic

After making threats to protest today's funeral of famed film critic Roger Ebert, who died last week at the age of 70 after struggling with cancer, the Westboro Baptist Church was a no show at Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral. The religious extremist organization threatened to protest today, calling the late Pulitzer priz-winner a "F-g enabler" and claimed that he used his Twitter account "to mock the faithful servants of God at Westboro Baptist Church." Luckily, the group was nowhere to be scene as Ebert's widow, Chaz Ebert, was able to mourn with friends and family today as they laid the cultural icon to rest.

Though some might have expected to see the Westboro Baptist Church picketing the funeral, what Chaz and the other mourners saw when they opened the church doors was a street lined with supporters all their to pay their respects to Roger.

The Westboro Baptist Church has previously protested the funerals of Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Edwards, numerous fallen soldiers, and even the victims of the Newtown shooting massacre (to name a few).

Mstarz recently reported on the death of Roger Ebert. Here is an excerpt from the original article:

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the longtime employer of the legendary film critic, Roger Ebert has died today at the age of 70 years old. Ebert had fought a perilous battle with cancer throughout his life. He was regularly treated for salivary gland cancer, thyroid cancer and cancer of the jawbone. Eventually, he lost his jaw and his ability to talk. This however did not slow the critic whom some describe as a poet to slow down. He continued his work despite setbacks, right up until the end of his life.

He reviewed nearly 200 movies a year for the Chicago Sun-Times, eventually becoming arguably the most powerful movie critic in the history of the medium. Ebert also authored 15 books, contributed to magazines and was an inspiring teacher and lecturer at the University of Chicago. Also, in 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, which was the "first such criticism prize to be awarded for film criticism by the Pulitzers."