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Christian Group Charged With Hate Crime - [because they protested at a gay and lesbian rally]
NBC10 ^

Posted on 01/12/2005 5:11:24 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Christian Group Charged With Hate Crime Prosecutors Say Group Tried To Incite Riot At Gay Gathering

POSTED: 7:08 pm EST January 12, 2005 UPDATED: 8:06 pm EST January 12, 2005

PHILADELPHIA -- A group of activists have been hauled into court for an unusual reason -- they are charged with hate crimes because they protested at a gay and lesbian rally.

Enough Said 2Members of the Christian group Repent America face up to 47 years in prison for what the city of Philadelphia calls hate crimes. Four defendants are charged with ethnic intimidation and rioting -- among other things -- after preaching at a gay festival.

In October 2004, Michael Marcavage and four other members of Repent America were arrested for protesting at the annual Gay and Lesbian Festival in Center City.

An independent production company, Enough Said Productions, shot video of the altercations.

FeedRoom

Hate Crime Christian Group On Trial FeedRoom Marcavage said the video shows his First Amendment rights being violated when police would not let him preach the Bible and festival participants blocked the Christian groups' signs and blew whistles to drown them out.

"We believe that this is the first case in the nation where preaching the Bible has formed the evidentiary basis for a hate crime," said defense attorney Scott Shields.

"I'm not aware of whether this is the first time or not. We charge on each incident based on what occurred at each incident," said Assistant District Attorney Charles Ehrlich.

Ehrlich said that the protesters would not stay in their designated area and were using inflammatory language.

"They were trying to go into areas to disrupt things by what they were saying to people and getting into people's faces to try and cause a riot," Ehrlich said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbc10.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: bloat; christianbigots; cw2; cwii; firstamendment; freespeech; hatespeech; homosexualagenda; stockpile

1 posted on 01/12/2005 5:11:25 PM PST by Sub-Driver
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To: Sub-Driver

The extreme liberal fringe inmates continue to run the insane asylum...


2 posted on 01/12/2005 5:14:00 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: Sub-Driver

Yeah, only about the 20th time that I've heard this story...


3 posted on 01/12/2005 5:16:10 PM PST by richmwill
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To: Sub-Driver

How about charging the paraders who were being abusive towards the Christians with a hate crime?


4 posted on 01/12/2005 5:16:28 PM PST by Odyssey-x
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To: Sub-Driver
Didnt you get the memo? You have to dress like THIS and protest. Then its not a hate crime.


5 posted on 01/12/2005 5:16:39 PM PST by Next_Time_NJ (NJ demorat exterminator)
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To: Odyssey-x

Can someone please tell me what "ehtnic" group homosexuals are?


6 posted on 01/12/2005 5:20:39 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: Next_Time_NJ

Those two are definitely "going to hell".


7 posted on 01/12/2005 5:24:40 PM PST by stinkerpot65
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To: richmwill

The more often it's posted, and the more lurid the claims, the less likely I am to believe that I'm being told the whole truth.


8 posted on 01/12/2005 5:25:02 PM PST by Poohbah (God must love fools. He makes so many of them...)
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To: Sub-Driver

"Hate Crimes" are a transparent attempt to force the majority to think in politically correct terms. It's no longer enough for fascist liberals that crimes against homosexuals are punished, in their view you cannot even have a negative personal opinion about gays.

SouthPark's Stan Koslowski said it the best: "ALL crimes are 'hate' crimes". Singling out specific segments for extra protection divides them from the majority.


9 posted on 01/12/2005 5:25:27 PM PST by wvobiwan (Touchdown! Suckers walk...)
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To: Sub-Driver

The pedophiles and NAMBLA are really missing the boat on this, they should be out seeking their 'civil rights' too. Homosexuals are the only group in the world who have started a political movement based on what they like to do to each other sexually. It's not a socio-political ideology, it's not religious persecution, not economic class struggle...it's all about 'when Mary met Sally' and how Michael Fitzpatrick and Patrick Fitzmichael.


10 posted on 01/12/2005 5:28:57 PM PST by infidel29 (America is GREAT because she is GOOD, the moment she ceases to be GOOD, she ceases to be GREAT - B.F)
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To: wvobiwan
.......Remember ORWELL:    "Hate Crimesmean..Thought Police!.......
FIGHTING MIND CONTROL AT AMERICAN COLLEGES      HATE CRIMES & BUSINESS PEOPLE

TWO STEPS AHEAD OF THE THOUGHT POLICE      THE NEW THOUGHT POLICE

A phone call from the idea police
---

"Just remember, some leftists will tell you that any expression of any attitude in opposition 
to leftist goals is, by definition, 'hate speech.' " -- Neal Boortz, here

"Just remember that different people have different definitions of 'hate speech.'  To a leftist, 
hate  speech is any utterance or writing in opposition to leftist goals.  It harkens back to the 
Soviet definition of  'peace,' which was 'an absence of opposition to world communist domination.' 
It’s all in the definition, folks." -- Neal Boortz

"The real purpose liberals have for hate crime laws is to get the American people used to the idea 
that thoughts can be crimes.  Once that is established in the minds of the public, imagine all the 
different ways they can expand on that." -- Neal Boortz


11 posted on 01/12/2005 5:31:36 PM PST by FreeKeys ("Political Correctness" leads to kangaroo courts)
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To: FreeKeys

Exactly.


12 posted on 01/12/2005 5:39:48 PM PST by wvobiwan (Touchdown! Suckers walk...)
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To: Sub-Driver

In the future, Christianity will be hardly mentioned when they take Biblical families and put themon trial for 'abuse' of their children. Most people will assume that the charges are related to some sexual or physicaal abuse, when it will genuinely be about teaching their children Biblical morality and that being classified as 'mental abuse'.

Prepare for the catacombs.


13 posted on 01/12/2005 5:46:45 PM PST by JFK_Lib
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To: Sub-Driver

Weren't these charges dismissed last week?


14 posted on 01/12/2005 5:54:11 PM PST by Kerfuffle
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To: Kerfuffle
Weren't these charges dismissed last week?

Charges should be refiled this time against the real criminals. The last time I checked it was a felony to violate someone's constitutional rights under color of law!

15 posted on 01/12/2005 6:25:08 PM PST by sandmanbr
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