( CNN ) -- When 14 members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church showed up at the University of Missouri Saturday to protest the presence of openly gay football player Michael Sam at an NCAA basketball game against Tennessee , they were in for a bit of a surprise . Sam , who acknowledged he is gay on February 9 , has received a great deal of support from around the globe , but his fellow students were about to go one step further . Missouri students Kelaney Lakers and Alix Carruth organized an event called `` One Wall , One Mizzou , '' which drew hundreds of people to the campus Saturday afternoon for the purpose of supporting Sam . According to the group event 's Facebook page , the students planned to form a human wall to block off the Westboro protesters . `` The focus of this wall is unification behind Sam to represent this school as One , '' the Facebook page stated . A total of 4,952 people responded to the page . The Westboro protesters had announced that they planned to show up at 1:30 p.m. , so the Mizzou students assembled at 1 p.m. and formed a long human chain that surrounded the campus . Many wore the school colors of black and gold and carried handmade signs that used the hashtag # StandwithSam . By the time Westboro protestors did arrive , all they could do was wave their signs , because they could n't get close to the school . HLN affiliate KMIZ reported that police were on hand for the event , but that the Westboro protesters and the event attendees did not have any negative interactions . `` We 're thankful that both groups kept it professional in the fact of how they expressed their points of view , '' university police department Capt . Brian Weime told KMIZ . `` There were no problems or issues between the groups which is good . '' University Vice Chancellor Dr. Catherine C. Scroggs , who also attended the event , told HLN that she was very happy with the way students conducted themselves . `` The way they addressed it made us proud , '' Scroggs said . `` The Missouri Students Association was also on hand , giving out 'Stand with Sam ' buttons to administrators and students . They ran out and they had a thousand , so we know at least that many people were there ! '' The university tweeted photos from the event from their official account : . Tweet : @ Mizzou The line of Mizzou students stretched from Providence to nearly Champions Drive at its peak . # StandWithSam . Tweet : @ Mizzou # Mizzou students linked arms and sang our fight songs and the alma mater . # StandWithSam . Sam showed his gratitude by tweeting to supporters : @ MikeSamFootball Thank you for all of my Mizzou family for your support . Divided we are weak , Together We are Strong . # OneMizzou . At halftime of the basketball game , the school presented its football team with the Cotton Bowl trophy . Sam raised it high , to a standing ovation .
Westboro Baptist Church staged a protest Saturday at the University of Missouri . The group said it was protesting an upcoming speech by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who is scheduled to speak on campus next week. Students formed a human wall that blocked off Westboro protesters . Sam recently revealed that he is gay .