The Westboro Baptist Church regularly engages in hateful protests ("Thank god for dead soldiers", "God hates fags", "God sent the shooter" (Sandy Hook). They do this by hiding behind claims of free speech, religious freedom, and lawsuits.
They are touchy to confront (lawsuits) but if there was precedence for "free speech zones" outside of President Bush's appearances, for national policy issues, of all things, there certainly can be a policy for a half-mile "zone of respect" around funerals where people can be allowed to grieve in peace, while not restricting the WBC's right to free speech or freedom to practice religion.