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November 4, several Christians with the ministry Wisconsin Christians
United were unconstitutionally ordered by Galena, Illinois police to end a
lawful picket. The individuals were holding a banner reading,
"Homosexuality is sin." As the police were arriving on the
scene, a young woman vandalized the banner with spray paint. Although the
police spoke to the woman, were shown the damage to the banner, and were
given the spray paint can used in the assault, no charges were filed in
the matter! At the same time, police ordered WCU to cease and desist from
showing their banner. Several days later, Mike Foht, one of the
individuals threatened with arrest for exercising his First Amendment
rights in Galena, received a letter explaining that WCU is not allowed to
hold signs on the public sidewalk in Galena.
An interesting aspect of the entire episode is that several
counter-picketers emerged at one point out of the local newspaper office,
the Galena Gazette, with pro-homosexual signs. One of those
individuals had her car parked in that same newspaper office's parking
lot.
"This afternoon, beginning at 3:00 PM, WCU will once again hold a
picket in Galena. We will be at the same site with the same banner plus
several more signs with gospel messages on them. This time, we will be
leaving town when our picket is over and not before. Since Galena is a
small town, we intend to hold a small picket. If police choose to arrest
us, we will return with many more picketers next time, and we will be
forced to take the City of Galena to federal court in defense of our
religious and civil liberties."
--Pastor Ralph Ovadal, Director, Wisconsin Christians United
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