Christian Men Hold ‘Anti-LGBT’ Protest In Sydney Gaybourhood Newtown
Image: Christian men march on King Street in Newtown chanting the Lord's Prayer on March 3, 2023.
A group of Christian men took out an “anti-LGBTQI” march on King Street in Sydney’s inner-west suburb Newtown on Friday night. Newtown is one of Sydney’s gaybourhoods and is home to a number of queer venues.
The march took place as Sydney is celebrating WorldPride, one of the largest Pride celebrations in the Southern Hemisphere. On Sunday, March 5, around 50,000 people, including international visitors, are scheduled to walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, for the WorldPride march.
Videos posted on social media showed the group of men, many wearing black hoodies and some in masks, marching menacingly on King Street, loudly chanting the Lord’s Prayer. There were reports that the group entered queer venues and intimidated people on the street. NSW Police said no arrests were made over the “unauthorised protest”.
No Arrests Made
Police responding to group of men chanting the Lord’s Prayer in Newtown and protesting(?)
Pretty creepy pic.twitter.com/veKB5Rxjby
— Tim Collis (@tymme95) March 3, 2023
An NSW Police spokesperson told Star Observer in a statement that around 8 pm on Friday night, “officers attached to Inner West Police Area Command, along with specialist police resources attended King Street, Newtown, in relation to unauthorised protest activity.”
“Police spoke with a group of about 30 people who marched along the footpath on King Street, Newtown, before dispersing just before 9 pm,” the spokesperson said, adding, “No arrests were made.”
“While we won’t comment on specific individuals or groups, the community can be assured we continue to monitor activities and will take action where appropriate,” the police spokesperson said.
Anti-LGBTQI Group
Videos show an anti-LGBTQIA+ protest going through Newtown tonight during Sydney’s World Pride. It was a large group of mostly men chanting/praying.
It appears the protest was organised out of an online group Christian Lives Matter. pic.twitter.com/33FeKs4u9N
— cameron “im on leave” wilson (@cameronwilson) March 3, 2023
Video footage of the march was posted by Charlie Bakhos, who runs the Facebook page Christian Lives Matter. “Huge turnout with the boys praying powerful rosary in Newtown tonight,” Bakhos posted on Instagram, about the group of 30-odd men who showed up for the march.
Sniff Off, the Greens group campaigning for police accountability posted on Twitter about the protest: “We’ve received reports of this anti-LGBTQIA+ group walking the streets chanting the Lord’s Prayer… the group entered queer venues and intimidated people on the streets and at the station.”
Oh whoops, we just noticed, it is a cop spot! There they are – calmly walking alongside as the group entered queer venues and intimidated people on the streets and at the station.
— Sniff Off (@sniff_off) March 3, 2023
Bakhos has recently posted videos of the WorldPride mural outside Wynyard station and the rainbow stairs outside Pitt Street Uniting Church being vandalised by homophobic bigots.
Bakhos has also been calling for protests over comedian Reuben Kaye’s ‘Jesus joke’ on Network 10 show The Project.
So, they are totally wrong… the Bible does not condemn same sex attraction!
The church (so-called Christians) have mangled, misinterpreted and lied about what’s actually in the Bible. These so-called Christian men have been misled, wrongly informed. Jesus said NOTHING about same sex attraction or relationships, absolutely nothing! Leviticus is all about pederasty which is HETEROSEXUAL men in ancient times taking and keeping slave boys for sex… not homosexuality…. a concept unknown in ancient times. Sodom is about heterosexual men violently abusing and controlling strangers to manipulate and frighten them. Not homosexuality at all!
The church is wrong, they are also telling young men like these complete lies, feeding hating and misinformation. The churches need to be called out for their lies. Let’s change THAT narrative!
Oma Gord !!
So many ‘ Leb – on – knees ‘, so little time.
It looks like some of the men were a bit confused, some held up a fist in a Black Power salute
Most probably half of them will be found late at night in a gay sex on premises venue 💁♂️
Interesting to see that so many of these “Good, Gentle Christian Men” hid their faces under their hoodies. I wonder how many of them are frightened of being identified because they are already out on bail?
Bunch of gutless, wonders. How many of them regularly indulge in DV against their partners and Child Sex Abuse with their own children – as we all know most Child Sex Abuse, outside the Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, Temples etc. is perpetrated by “Good Christian Men and Women” against their own children and those of other family members.
Someone should have fought them back with a repeating blast of Sister Janet Mead,
followed by Dominique
We have certainly lost our sense of irony these days.
@Andrew: since when is harassing and intimidating legal???
People have a right to protest. There’s no such thing as an ‘unauthorised’ protest. It’s the ‘done thing’ to liase with police, but protests do not need to be ”authorised’. These people are wankers, btw. The best way to counter them is with a bigger counter-protest.
All 30 of them…bless…..
They ain’t dangerous just abunch of men chanting prays. They anit hurting no one. No laws are broken.
I am suprised Queerfolk didn’t unanimously boo the cops for not doing their job by moving those anti-LGBT+ wankers out of the area.
The cops supported an hate march by not turning them around.
You should had asked for authorization for your march – it would have been more proper.
These people are protesting again today at 1pm near st Mary’s. Please be safe people.