A billboard company in St. Augustine Beach, Florida is taking heat over a billboard displayed on A1A and Seashore Avenue that reads: “Islam Bloody Islam, Doomed by its Doctrine!”

“It really doesn’t represent what this community stands for so I wanted to get out here as soon as I could with a contrasting opinion,” local resident John Poage told WJXT.

Poage toted his own sign with him to stand by the billboard after seeing a post about it on Facebook.

“You can tell the community is not really behind that kind of fear,” he said.

The billboard gained international attention online recently, in part through a petition started by Becky Williams calling on the billboard company, St. John’s Outdoor Advertising, to take the message down.

“We should be outraged that a billboard with this message could in any way represent our community as a whole,” Williams wrote in the petition. “It is of the utmost importance that we stand against messages and movements that isolate, judge and threaten an entire sect of people who share our hometown.

“Please sign and share: take down offensive ‘Islam Bloody Islam, Doomed by Its Doctrine’ billboard.”

The petition had 5,598 out of a goal of 6,000 supporters Tuesday morning. Florida residents accounted for 2,217 of the signatures, and several locals condemned the message in the petition’s comments section.

“For a billboard as intolerant and offensive as this to be shown in the town I call home is absolutely disgusting and cannot be tolerated. This billboard in and of itself is promoting violence to those who follow Islam,” Sydney Simkins wrote. “This is not freedom of speech, this is dangerous hate. If the billboard said the same about Christianity, it would have been taken down the minute after it was put up.”

“As a lifelong resident of this community I find this sign to be beyond disgusting and offensive. Hate and divisiveness are the very things tearing this nation apart,” Joann Janson wrote. “I refuse to stand by quietly while someone engages in conduct that reflects so poorly on a community that is vibrant in its diversity. Take down this sign now!”

CBS 47 noted that the petition has gained supporters from as far away as the United Kingdom, India, France and Nigeria.

The news site contacted St. John’s Outdoor Advertising about the billboard, but the owner declined an on camera interview and would not disclose who paid for the message, though he did mention it was an individual and not a church or organization.

Local followers of Islam told WJXT they were surprised by the sign, and are concerned it could instigate violence.

“Hate speech leads to hate crimes, so yes we do have freedom of speech and anybody can post or say anything they want, but in St. Augustine, we love everyone,” Islamic Center of St. Augustine Imam Anas Benjelloun said.

Meanwhile, Poage is hoping his counter protest will turn things around.

“I love to see more people in the conversation, and I don’t want to blow this out of proportion,” he said. “It’s just not appropriate for St. Augustine.”