Rev. Richard Skull
2006-05-22 22:51:10 UTC
A little "follow up" my my last War Rant!.......
SEAFORD -- Three blocks away from the church where Marine Cpl. Cory
Palmer was eulogized, the atmosphere was charged with hurt and hate.
A crowd of about 1,000 -- mostly city residents -- shouted obscenities,
honked horns and revved engines to protest about a dozen demonstrators
in Gateway Park.
Tensions reached a peak about 2:55 p.m. when one man stormed through a
barricade and attacked one of the demonstrators, punching him several
times. Commotion followed, but no one was seriously injured.
The demonstrators -- followers of Topeka, Kan., minister Fred Phelps --
held signs that read: "God Hates Fags," "Fags Doom Nations" and
"Vengeance is Mine, Sayeth the Lord."
Phelps, who has coordinated dozens of demonstrations at the funerals of
U.S. soldiers who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, believes God is punishing the country because it tolerates
homosexuality. It was unclear whether Phelps himself took part in
Sunday's demonstration.
Demonstrators taunted the crowd by stepping on American flags and
shouting insults, separated from onlookers by a waist-high barrier and
dozens of police officers. The park is out of sight and earshot of St.
John's United Methodist Church where the funeral was held.
"Carry your sorry asses back to Kansas!" one man shouted to the
demonstrators from across the street. People driving cars and trucks --
many waving American flags -- drew cheers from onlookers as they
passed, drowning out the demonstrators.
"Get out of our county," Amanda Elzey, 18, of Salisbury, Md., shouted.
Elzey's pink T-shirt read: "God Hates No One."
The group received a permit from the city to demonstrate in the park at
Market and High streets from 2:15 to 3 p.m. At 3 p.m., police formed a
perimeter around them and escorted them onto a waiting van. The crowd
pressed forward, throwing rocks and bottles and breaking at least one
of the van's windows, Seaford police Capt. Gary Flood said.
"We knew we were going to have to get [the demonstrators] out of
there," said Flood, visibly drained by 5 p.m. "Things were getting a
little heated."
The demonstrators "got out of town" immediately, he said.
Police arrested three adults -- all from the crowd -- taking them to
the Seaford jail, according to Flood. He couldn't immediately provide
details.
Despite the arrests, Flood said he believed the city residents showed
"good restraint."
"I think it could have gotten a lot worse," he said.
Sitting in the lobby of the Seaford Police Station on Sunday afternoon,
Jennifer Taylor said her boyfriend, David Jones, of Seaford, was among
those arrested. About 5:30 p.m., she was waiting for word about when he
would be released.
"He had just had enough, I guess," said Taylor, who was with Jones when
he broke away from the crowd and stormed through the barricade. "The
whole point of everything is they have freedom of speech. And this
Marine died for their freedom of speech."
A juvenile was arrested earlier in the day, after one of the tires of
the demonstrators' van was slashed, Flood said. The van that was
damaged Sunday belonged to the city of Seaford.
Many of the onlookers were outraged by the demonstration on the day of
the funeral of a hometown Marine.
"I think it's crazy," said Samora Krumm, 38, of Seaford, who surged
forward with the crowd when the first man broke through the barricade.
"Go! Go! Go! Go!" the crowd chanted as the protesters loaded into the
van.
"There's freedom of speech, but there's a time and a place," she said.
Contact Kristin Harty at 324-2792 or ***@delawareonline.com.
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SEAFORD -- Three blocks away from the church where Marine Cpl. Cory
Palmer was eulogized, the atmosphere was charged with hurt and hate.
A crowd of about 1,000 -- mostly city residents -- shouted obscenities,
honked horns and revved engines to protest about a dozen demonstrators
in Gateway Park.
Tensions reached a peak about 2:55 p.m. when one man stormed through a
barricade and attacked one of the demonstrators, punching him several
times. Commotion followed, but no one was seriously injured.
The demonstrators -- followers of Topeka, Kan., minister Fred Phelps --
held signs that read: "God Hates Fags," "Fags Doom Nations" and
"Vengeance is Mine, Sayeth the Lord."
Phelps, who has coordinated dozens of demonstrations at the funerals of
U.S. soldiers who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, believes God is punishing the country because it tolerates
homosexuality. It was unclear whether Phelps himself took part in
Sunday's demonstration.
Demonstrators taunted the crowd by stepping on American flags and
shouting insults, separated from onlookers by a waist-high barrier and
dozens of police officers. The park is out of sight and earshot of St.
John's United Methodist Church where the funeral was held.
"Carry your sorry asses back to Kansas!" one man shouted to the
demonstrators from across the street. People driving cars and trucks --
many waving American flags -- drew cheers from onlookers as they
passed, drowning out the demonstrators.
"Get out of our county," Amanda Elzey, 18, of Salisbury, Md., shouted.
Elzey's pink T-shirt read: "God Hates No One."
The group received a permit from the city to demonstrate in the park at
Market and High streets from 2:15 to 3 p.m. At 3 p.m., police formed a
perimeter around them and escorted them onto a waiting van. The crowd
pressed forward, throwing rocks and bottles and breaking at least one
of the van's windows, Seaford police Capt. Gary Flood said.
"We knew we were going to have to get [the demonstrators] out of
there," said Flood, visibly drained by 5 p.m. "Things were getting a
little heated."
The demonstrators "got out of town" immediately, he said.
Police arrested three adults -- all from the crowd -- taking them to
the Seaford jail, according to Flood. He couldn't immediately provide
details.
Despite the arrests, Flood said he believed the city residents showed
"good restraint."
"I think it could have gotten a lot worse," he said.
Sitting in the lobby of the Seaford Police Station on Sunday afternoon,
Jennifer Taylor said her boyfriend, David Jones, of Seaford, was among
those arrested. About 5:30 p.m., she was waiting for word about when he
would be released.
"He had just had enough, I guess," said Taylor, who was with Jones when
he broke away from the crowd and stormed through the barricade. "The
whole point of everything is they have freedom of speech. And this
Marine died for their freedom of speech."
A juvenile was arrested earlier in the day, after one of the tires of
the demonstrators' van was slashed, Flood said. The van that was
damaged Sunday belonged to the city of Seaford.
Many of the onlookers were outraged by the demonstration on the day of
the funeral of a hometown Marine.
"I think it's crazy," said Samora Krumm, 38, of Seaford, who surged
forward with the crowd when the first man broke through the barricade.
"Go! Go! Go! Go!" the crowd chanted as the protesters loaded into the
van.
"There's freedom of speech, but there's a time and a place," she said.
Contact Kristin Harty at 324-2792 or ***@delawareonline.com.
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