BOCA RATON, FLA. (WSVN) - Church members and leaders marched, Tuesday, against a Satanic symbol that has been on display in a public Boca Raton park since early December.
About 40 members from the Church of All Nations marched two miles from their church to Sanborn Square, calling for the removal of the 20 foot, 300 pound Pentagram, which was placed near the park’s nativity scene. They sang Christmas carols as they marched and some carried their own religious symbols: crosses.
“The symbol not only represents a cult or philosophy but represents the very evil of Satan,” said one man with a megaphone.
“It says here on these signs, ‘In Satan we trust, one nation under the antichrist and may the children hail Satan,” he said, as marchers jeered and booed responded, “No!”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation placed the display in the park and Boca High language arts teacher Preston Smith obtained the permits for the display.
The display is legally allowed because of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
“We’re ready to make this an annual tradition,” Smith previously told 7News.
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Darlene Careri said she doesn’t believe the display should be allowed in a public place.
“We just believe that’s a satanic symbol, and we believe it just has no place in a public setting like that,” Careri said. “We’re taking back Boca Raton for the glory of God almighty.”
Another church member, Jacques Jean Pierre, said the people who placed the display in the park are trying to attack Christmas.
“They’re trying to take away the idea of Christmas and Christ being the center of it all,” Jean Pierre said.
Leidmar Lopes, a pastor at Alliance Church of Coral Springs, came out in support of the march and prayer rally.
“What they’re doing here, it’s so provocative,” he said.
The church members held hands around the pentagram. Some sprayed the symbol, which has been vandalized before, with holy water. Others placed their own pamphlets on the pentagram.
They ended their peaceful protest with song.
According to the city of Boca Raton, the square is a freedom of speech zone, and they have no plans to remove it.
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