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Posted on 12/17/2004 9:38:12 AM PST by DirtyHarryY2K
Four people who were arrested during a confrontation at an annual homosexual pride event in Philadelphia could spend up to 47 years in prison for public reading of Scripture, an attorney for a pro-family organization said on Thursday.
Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association (AFA) Center for Law and Policy, is representing the group in court. He claims the Christian activists are being persecuted simply for exercising their constitutional rights.
"They were exercising their First Amendment rights in a public forum, and we have videotape that demonstrates that," Fahling said.
The case began on Oct. 10, when Repent America Director Michael Marcavage and 10 other persons preached and read verses from the Bible during an annual "gay pride" event known as "Outfest" in Philadelphia.
Fahling said that a video of the confrontation showed Marcavage speaking through a bullhorn while he and his supporters were "being shouted down by irate gay activists."
However, city officials told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the video did not show the start of the confrontation, when they said Marcavage tried to interrupt an onstage performance with his preaching and then disobeyed a police order to move to the perimeter of the "block party" to avoid the potential for violence.
"They were not prohibited from preaching," said Karen Brancheau, a lawyer for the district attorney's office. "A reasonable request was made to prevent a situation from becoming dangerous to their own safety, as well as the safety of the participants."
Charges were later dropped against seven people in the "Philadelphia 11" because they were not seen quoting Scripture on a videotape of the incident.
However, the remaining four individuals have been ordered to stand trial on three felony counts -- criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation and riot -- and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, Fahling said, they could face up to 47 years in prison.
Charles Ehrlich, the city prosecutor in the case, has called the Christian protestors "hateful" and referred to preaching the Bible as using "fighting words."
Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan has banned the protestors from doing any type of evangelism within 100 yards of any "gay and lesbian event."
This past week, U.S. District Judge Petrese B. Tucker denied emergency relief from prosecution despite video footage Fahling calls "undisputed evidence" that the group cooperated with police and were continually harassed by members of a homosexual organization called the Pink Angels.
Then on Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit turned down a similar appeal.
Since the federal courts did not intervene, the last route for the group to avoid trial would be an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Fahling said
"First, symbols of Christianity are removed from the public square; now, Christians are facing 47 years in prison because they preached the gospel in the public square. Stalin would be proud," Fahling concluded.
How many times have homosexuals invaded assemblies, churches, or other events and got away scott free simply because they are homosexuals.
I remember one story where some homosexual activists splashed blood in or on a church. They protest events like Love Won Out conferences, and they're message is not one of love, but of hate for the people attending.
If the Christian group was behaving badly, so what. They aren't doing anything that hasn't been done to other Christian groups.
Oftentimes our personal feelings prevent us from seeing right from wrong. The protesters were wrong, and luckily only they suffered for their mistakes. DirtyHarry's dislike of gays prevents him from acknowledging that and thereby blinds him, in this case, from understanding right from wrong.
Were you there? Or do you know someone who was and is telling a different story from the person I talked to and the police report?
In any other city, folks who are, oh say homeless, for instance, and stand on a box in the center of a sidewalk, with signs, yelling Repent......the end is coming! Are perfectly free to do so, wrong that they may be. You just can't stand that there is any opposition, however calm and subtle it may be.
I don't understand where you're coming from here. Could you clarify it for me?
three felony counts -- criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation and riot -- and five misdemeanor charges
The only intimidation here is coming from the local homosexual community.
The "tolerant" liberalsm are REALLY going to end up shooting themselves in their collective foot with this kind of injustice.
Sorry, Now you will have to take your eyeballs out and scrub them.
Countless. They entered St. Patricks Cathedral in New York City and threw condoms.
Huh? This is a joke right?
I read the article and thought to myself that the police order to remain outside the perimeter of the march was a reasonable move in the interest of keeping the peace.
But 47 years in prison for a protest? C'mon! The Democratic goons rioting outside the Republican Convention got off scot-free!
My brother had four or five charges against him and he was the VICTIM of a brutual assault and beating by a large group of Teamsters. All of the charges were bogus. Lynne Abraham persecutes people on the right almost anytime she has an opportunity. She is a strong supporter of "homosexual rights."
When I see pictures like that, the first thing that pops into my mind is, "I bet their parents are proud."
Goodnight.
There is an ugly side of anti-gay activism that fills me with duisgust. They say the rudest possible things, then heap scorn on opponents who dare to say rude things back. They get rowdy in public, holding anti-homosexual rallies and burning books and picketing gay funerals, and then they sanctimoniously decry public outbursts of passion by their opponents. It's a bully act, designed to reinforce the idea that only they can legitimize any act of protest; only they can frame the terms of the debate....I hope the cops throw the book at them. "
You do quite a bit of assuming pal -- but apparently you're one of those who would like the Death Penalty for so-called unconstitutional "Hate Crimes" in lieu of "disturbing the peace."
What's the problem? Some nun spank you tender @ss once upon a time?
Btw, shall we assume you also support 47 years in the slammer for the Gay Thugs who stormed St. Patty's a few years back??
Wrong about what?
Oh and BTW, I consider your friends report as one side of the story and not as persuasive as a video I can watch and listen to myself.
I noticed that too,
By his own words, the crime was not protesting, gathering, disagreeing with police, or any other thing but quoting scripture.
hmm...
Just because you make decisions based on your fuzzy emotional feelings doesn't necessarily make it so for all of us.
The protesters were wrong, and luckily only they suffered for their mistakes.
That's your opinion. Mind if the rest of us have one?
DirtyHarry's dislike of gays
How in the hell do you know who I like or dislike? Clean your crystal ball because you are way off.
I apologize O. C. I was attempting to show Zeroisanumber what a pervert pride parade was all about.
All things equal, I'll take Scriptures read through a bullhorn and gospel songs over perverts leading other perverts around with dog leashes any day of the week.
That may be true, but hypccrisy still reigns. How many leftists who disrupted gatherings in the 60's received 47 years behind bars? Answer: NONE
It still boils down to double standards and hypocrisy no matter how you look at it.
But you're right. Lousy reporting has led to another piece telling us only what we peons should know and nothing more.
-and factually complete - no sense parroting homosexual agenda memes or framings...
The percentage of homosexuals that are pedophiles is greater than the percentage of heterosexuals that are pedophiles.
Further, ALL homosexuals are objectively disordered and ALL homosexual activity morally depraved.
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