Protesters are out in force on Copley Square, where the group largely made up of Christians have unfurled flags like “Satan has NO rights!” in opposition to the ongoing SatanCon 2023.
The old-out event, put on by the Salem-based The Satanic Temple, has run since Friday and is scheduled to continue through Sunday.
The Herald estimates 100 to 200 protesters outside the Marriott Copley Place hotel where the event is held.
“This event is dedicated to Boston mayor Michelle Wu for her unconstitutional efforts to keep TST out of Boston’s public spaces,” The Satanic Temple’s information page on the event states, adding the theme this year is “Hexennacht in Boston.” “Attendees will enjoy lectures and panels presented by our campaigns and congregations as well as evening entertainment and a Satanic Marketplace.”
The event’s Saturday schedule kicked off with the group’s founders, who go under the pseudonyms Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jarry, going over a retrospective of the group’s last decade, followed by a progam called “Deconstructing your religious upbringing.”
At the time of this 11:50 a.m. bulletin, the current scheduled program is “Reclaiming the Tans Body: A/theistic Strategies for Self-Determination and Empowerment.”
One protester wearing a “Jesus said you must be born again, John 3:7” hooded sweatshirt held a lengthy protest banner that stated “Don’t be deceived! Homosexuals, baby killers, idolaters, unbelieving, liars, drunkards, gossips, cowards, thieves, mockers, fornicators: Hellfire awaits. Turn to Jesus! 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Revelation 21:8” in a sign without much of the punctuation in this quote.
In a “Prayer to Combat Satanic Presence in Boston,” the Boston Archdiocese noted that today is the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, “Who through her strong faith and commitment to enable good to overcome evil, we call upon he to protect us and drive out the evils of our day as did she in her lifetime.”
“Through the intercession of Mary, St. Michael the Archangel and all the Powers and Hosts of Heaven we implore you O Lord to strengthen our resistance to the evil and demonic assaults coming upon us from the Satanic spirit which will be unleashed in our city this coming weekend,” the prayer continued.
The Satanic Temple sees itself as a religious liberty organization and states its mission as encouraging “benevolence and empathy” and to “reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits.”
The organization has stated that it does not “subscribe to supernaturalism, so in that way we do not believe that Satan is a deity, being, or person. As an organized religion we actively provide outreach and participate in public affairs where the issues might benefit from rational, Satanic insights.”
This is a developing story.
