BY: GRACE HILLS
Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — The Satanic Grotto delivered a complaint to the Kansas Department of Administration Capitol events coordinator for allowing Abortion is Murder — a Christian group known for protesting with graphic signs — to protest inside the Statehouse, and plans to counterprotest.
Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart said the grotto plans to be at the Statehouse on Jan. 27, the day of the AIM protest, with or without permit approval. Stewart said the approval of AIM’s permit is unfair because the state, which restricted a planned grotto protest over the summer, is applying different standards about obscenity and violence to the two groups.
The grotto identifies its complaint as a “formal notice of liability” for discrimination.
Stewart invited people to join the grotto in counterprotesting AIM, offering free kazoos as an incentive. Stewart said he submitted a permit for the protest Jan.15, and it has yet to be approved or denied. Stewart said the Department of Administration uses silence as a “disruption tactic.”
Samir Arif, the chief of staff and director of public affairs for the Department of Administration, said the agency wouldn’t comment on ongoing legal issues.
As of Jan. 20, about 50 people were “interested” in or going to the grotto’s counterprotest, according to a Facebook event listing.
Stewart said the Grotto’s permit application is for the south steps outside of the Statehouse. AIM’s permit is for the second floor rotunda inside.
“Our actions at the Capitol will be in direct response to the government’s decisions,” Stewart said. “If the government fulfills their duties, then the grotto will be committed to having a peaceful celebration of bodily autonomy and educating anyone who shows up about their personal constitutional rights outside, right along AIM.
“If we are institutionally oppressed, or if they show a viewpoint discrimination favoring AIM, then we will absolutely escalate our actions to an interior counterprotest. The grotto doesn’t want the conflict. The grotto wants equal treatment in the same space.”
Stewart said grotto artists have made a “poignant gore piece” to bring to the counterprotest. The 9-foot-tall sculpture has been named “zombie Jesus” by members.
He said the rules for permits are unfairly applied. Before the grotto’s own protest in March — a “black mass” that drew thousands of Christian counterprotesters and ended with a handful of arrests — legislators denounced their plans with House Resolution 6016, which called the plan “blasphemous.” Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly banned the satanists from entering the Statehouse, but they ignored her ban.
The black mass turned violent as Christian counterprotesters clashed with Satanic Grotto members. Stewart and a counterprotester were arrested.
After the black mass, Adam Proffitt, the secretary of administration, denied the grotto’s application for another protest over the summer. Proffitt said the grotto could have a permit if someone other than Stewart filed for it, and as long as the protest didn’t go past sundown. The group obliged.