This afternoon San Francisco has been playing host to the folks from the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), who have come to our fair city to protest about, well pretty much anything that takes their fancy.

For those lucky enough not to have encountered the WBC it's a small group of religious extremists who are under the impression that the entire world (apart from them) is doomed to hell because they aren't Protestants who hate homosexuals.

To spread this message they protest outside funerals of dead soldiers and celebrities (the group will be protesting Salinger's funeral) and anywhere else they think they can get a deadline.

The group has been barred from entering the UK and other countries and has been covered repeatedly on TV, both in documentaries and being mocked.

One of the targets of WBC's ire today was Twitter, and the group had a protest outside the company's headquarters on Folsom street.

"We're not protesting Twitter as a platform; that's like picketing television!," tweeted a WBC member. "We're picketing the people who run @Twitter, who don't use their position & voice to warn a generation of rebels of the consequences of their rebellion. Same goes for those at Foursquare & Gowalla."

Now San Franciscans are a tolerant bunch, and haven't taken this lying down. Quick as a flash counter protests have been following the group around.

As you can see from the photos the signs aren't exactly serious, and have a technical bent. My personal favourite? 'God's never going to give you up.'