"Fuck the 4th" protest in Lakeland, FL brings out fundies, anti-Christian signs-and an unlawful arrest

Video:Anti-Christian signs, Fundamentalist counterprotesters, and an arrest for using a BULLHORN 3 min

Lakeland, FL's "fuck the 4th" protest drew a crowd worthy of Orlando or even DC, and like DC drew a half dozen fundamentalist Christian counterprotesters. After about an hour and a half, cops suddently arrested a 13 year old for nothing more than using a bullhorn. She was out within 3 hours but with charges pending.

The bullhorn arrest was ugly, cops going so far as to use as an excuse a law written to protect abortion clinics from much louder bullhorns that are audible from inside the building. The July 4 protest was in Munn Park, not adjacent to any building. The entire crowd of protesters responded to the arrest and confronted the police. Cops however soon realized the crowd did not intend to use force, so they refused to release their hostage as doing so was not a precondition of escaping from the far larger crowd. When a large crowd making an unarrest makes it plain that force will be used and the police are trapped, cops quite often release their detainees as they understand they will then be permitted to leave unharmed.

Christian Fundamentalism seems to be creating great anger among younger residents of Florida and probably all states with a significant MAGA populations. An inverted Pentagram of coat hangers, a circle-slash over a cross, and a sign showing a burning Bible all were present at the Lakewood protest. Decades ago, some anti-Christian Death/Black Metal bands reported their most intense fans were in Salt Lake City, due to repression their by the Mormon Church.