The Associated Press reports that Church Militant is being denied permission to hold an event in Baltimore during the US bishops’ meeting.
“The city says the gathering poses a threat to public safety, claiming the fringe group cheered on rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in January.
The event planners are asking a federal judge to decide whether the city is trampling on their First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander scheduled a hearing Thursday on a lawsuit filed Sept. 13 by St. Michael’s Media against the city, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and City Solicitor James Shea.
Michigan-based St. Michael’s Media, also known as Church Militant, is a tax-exempt nonprofit and digital media outlet. The far-right group says it publishes news stories on its website about the Catholic Church and often criticizes church leadership.
St. Michael’s planned to hold a “prayer rally” Nov. 16 at a city-owned waterfront pavilion. An event advertisement touts speeches by former Donald Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon and far-right agitator Milo Yiannopoulos.l
In a court filing, the city says it instructed the contractor that manages the pavilion to cancel the event “out of a legitimate fear that it would incite violence in the heart of downtown Baltimore.”
Hilariously, this is the picture the AP used to convince readers that Church Militant was violent.
Ah, because you know that sword violence from Catholics is a plague on Baltimore, right?
Or maybe Baltimore has no answer to the real problem of violence so they’ll just go hard after pretend violence.
It’s very clear that Baltimore just doesn’t want conservatives, especially of the icky Catholic variety, to have a voice. If they were actually concerned with violence maybe they would’ve done something about the 250 murders and 412 non-fatal shootings that have already taken place this year.
This is disgusting.
September 30, 2021 at 11:31 am
Going TO Baltimore is a threat to the public safety.
September 30, 2021 at 11:06 pm
Funny…I can remember when a white catholic male was on the top of the American pyramid. What the hell happened?
October 2, 2021 at 1:48 pm
What’s disgusting is that this group in any way associates itself with Catholicism. I’ve heard of few Catholics who want any part of its extremism, from support of violence to overturn a democratic election to it’s xenophobic rejection of immigration and pluralism. The archbishop of the archdiocese where they are located has himself condemned the group, by name, and repeatedly emphasized its existence is in no way connected with or condoned by the archdiocese. Why would anyone want to cheer them on while they publicly defile Catholicism?
October 3, 2021 at 6:58 pm
Catholics should be supportive of Church Militant and it goals for cleaning up the filth and corruption in the clergy and spreading the authentic faith to world.
October 2, 2021 at 3:43 pm
John,
You should expand your circle of friends.
Many, many people are just fine with Church Militant and what they are trying to do.