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Court: Philly Police May have Conspired with Homosexual Activists Against Pastors By Gudrun Schultz PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, May 31, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A U.S. district court judge has refused to release the homosexual activist group Philly Pride Presents from a lawsuit brought by members of the Christian group Repent America. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eleven members of Repent America, claiming allegations of a conspiracy between Philly Pride and the Philadelphia police to deny the group free speech during the homosexual celebration of "OutFest" in October 2004. The group was harassed and prevented from speaking by homosexual activists known...

'Philly 11' win round against 'gay' group Judge refuses to release homosexual organization from Christians' lawsuit A federal judge has ruled that the homosexual activist group called Philly Pride Presents has to face the legal wrath of 11 Christians who were arrested for protesting a "gay pride" event in the City of Brotherly Love. On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence F. Stengel issued a 17-page opinion denying the homosexual group's motion to dismiss, which had sought to release the group from a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Christian protesters – who came collectively to be known as "the...

PHILADELPHIA - The law firm of Shields & Hoppe, LLP has filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and others on behalf of the eleven members of Repent America, who were arrested as a result of their efforts to minister the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ at a homosexual event called "OutFest", which was held in the public streets of Philadelphia on October 10, 2004. The six men and five women were charged with three felonies, which included the "hate crime" of ethnic intimidation, along with conspiracy, incitement to riot, in addition to five misdemeanor charges. The Christians spent...

Life and Liberty Ministries This years outreach at the Philadelphia Outfest went quite differently from last years event. We had a tremendous six-plus hours of ministry without interuption. The police worked with Repent America's Michael Marcavage to ensure that the outreach participants would be unmolested by some of the more hostile hearers. The preaching was powerful and thousands of the celebrants went home having heard the powerful message of salvation. Pray for those who stood around to hear the preaching, those who we had conversations with, and and those who were convicted by the large presence of Gospel messages on...

Members arrested last year after confrontation with 'militant gays' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: October 8, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com A Christian group whose protest of a Philadelphia homosexual event one year ago resulted in criminal charges for some of its members will be present again tomorrow at the annual celebration despite threats of violence. Repent America says it will be on the streets of Philadelphia to "minister the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ and to take a stand against the public celebration of sin" at "OutFest 2005." As WorldNetDaily reported, on Oct. 10, 2004, Repent America had a group...

PHILADELPHIA - On Sunday, October 9, Repent America (RA) will be coming out of the closet to minister the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ and to take a stand against the public celebration of sin at "OutFest 2005," an annual homosexual celebration in the public streets of Philadelphia, despite threats of violence by a militant group of homosexuals. This will be the first year that the Christians with RA will return after being arrested, jailed for 21 hours, and charged with a hate crime for evangelizing at last year's festival. At the event last year, six men and five women...

Pro-Family Leader Demands Apology; Christian Group Pursues Legal Redress - The American Family Association of Pennsylvania is demanding that a judge apologize to members of a Christian group who were arrested during an outreach to homosexuals for comparing the street ministers to Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. Meanwhile, though acquitted, the Christian activists may be heading back into court. Last week, Judge Pamela Dembe of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas dropped all charges against adult defendants belonging to the Christian group Repent America, who were arrested last fall for witnessing during a homosexual pride event in Philadelphia....

'Philly 5' Are Free! - Philadelphia Judge Clears Christian Demonstrators of 'Hate Crimes' Charges By Allie Martin February 17, 2005 (AgapePress) - All charges have been dropped against four Christians who were arrested in October for sharing the gospel at a pro-homosexual event in Philadelphia. Charges pending against a minor who was also arrested at the time are expected to be dismissed as well. Last fall, Philadelphia police arrested 11 Christians as they were taking part in street witnessing on a public sidewalk at a "gay pride" event. Charges were dropped against six of the believers in January, but the...

(Still, One Group Concerned by Dembe's Comparison with KKK, Nazis) The Philadelphia judge who on Thursday dismissed "hate crime" charges against a group of Christians is being praised for her decision. But one pro-family group in that state is a bit miffed by a statement the judge made in explaining the rationale behind the ruling. Calling the charges against the group of Christian demonstrators "ludicrous" and an "abuse of power," family advocates are expressing their pleasure about this week's developments in the "Philly 5" case. Four members of the Philadelphia-based group Repent America who had been arrested in October faced...

Charges against four of five Christian demonstrators who were arrested after protesting a homosexual celebration called "OutFest" in Philadelphia, Pa., last year were dismissed Thursday, with charges against the fifth due to be dismissed shortly thereafter. Eleven Christian protesters were arrested in October 2004 for peacefully preaching at the event. Four men and 17-year-old Lauren Murch were held for trial on criminal charges, which included "riot" and "ethnic intimidation." All five faced as many as 47 years in prison if convicted on all charges. "We are pleased and relieved for our clients that justice has finally been done in the...

TESTING THE FAITH Judge drops all charges against Philly Christians Adults who evangelized at homosexual event vindicated, teen girl likely off hook tomorrow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: February 17, 2005 12:33 p.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com In what is being hailed as a victory for free speech, a judge in Philadelphia today dismissed all criminal charges against four Christians who were arrested for evangelizing at an outdoor homosexual event. Judge Pamela Dembe of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas dismissed the charges, saying that she found no basis whatsoever for any of them. "We are one of the very few countries...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A judge dismissed all charges Thursday against four members of a conservative Christian group who were arrested last fall while picketing a street festival for gays. After watching video footage of the event, Common Pleas Judge Pamela Dembe said that while the protesters' message that homosexuality is a sin clearly enraged the crowd, the bullhorn-wielding demonstrators did not incite violence. "We are one of the very few countries that protect unpopular speech. And that means that Nazis can March in Skokie, Ill. ... That means that the Ku Klux Klan can march where they wish to," Dembe...

In what is being hailed as a victory for free speech, a judge in Philadelphia today dismissed all criminal charges against four Christians who were arrested for evangelizing at an outdoor homosexual event. Judge Pamela Dembe of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas dismissed the charges, saying that she found no basis whatsoever for any of them...

(CBN News) - It is a story that has the Christian community on the edge of its seat. In Philadelphia, 11 Christians were arrested and charged under Pennsylvania’s hate crimes law (the Ethnic Intimidation Act), for preaching the Gospel. The arrests took place at a homosexual event last October, and five of the 11 still face serious criminal charges. Twenty-five-year-old Michael Marcavage is at the center of a case that could determine whether preaching the Gospel is a hate crime; specifically, whether preaching against homosexuality is a hate crime. Marcavage, who has a ministry called Repent America, and 10 other...

During Philadelphia's annual homosexual "Outfest" rally, 11 Christians were herded into a police truck for refusing to obey a police order to relocate, and for using signs and megaphones to proclaim Scripture verses during the gay-pride celebration. The Christians are members of the evangelistic group Repent America. Repent America director Michael Marcavage, 25, is facing three felony charges and five misdemeanors. The felonies include conspiracy, inciting to riot, and ethnic intimidation-a charge filed under the state's hate-crimes law, which specifically mentions sexual orientation as one object of hate speech. Charges against seven of the Christians were dismissed. The others are...

Judge rules against Christians who preached to homosexuals 'Philly 5' lose round in federal court, prosecutors get away with calling defendants' words 'hateful' Posted: February 4, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com In another blow to the "Philly 5" – the Philadelphia Christians facing possible 47 year jail terms for evangelizing at a homosexual event – a federal judge has refused a request to stop the local prosecution of the group. Judge Petrese B. Tucker, for the second time, has refused to sanction the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office for what the Christians' attorneys say are "retaliatory criminal proceedings." According...

'Philly 5' lose round in federal court, prosecutors get away with calling defendants' words 'hateful' Posted: February 4, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com In another blow to the "Philly 5" – the Philadelphia Christians facing possible 47 year jail terms for evangelizing at a homosexual event – a federal judge has refused a request to stop the local prosecution of the group. Judge Petrese B. Tucker, for the second time, has refused to sanction the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office for what the Christians' attorneys say are "retaliatory criminal proceedings." According to the American Family Association Center for Law...

CANARIES IN A FREE-SPEECH MINESHAFTJan 31, 2005 - FreeMarketNews.comby Craig McCarthyOn October 10, 2004, an organization called PhillyPride held its annual Outfest event in Philadelphia. PhillyPride.org bills the event as “the largest coming out day celebration in the world.” Attendance of Outfest participants last year is estimated at between 25,000 and 32,000 people. Among them on October 10 were eleven people who came, in their words, “out of love” for the gay attendants, and with the goal of engaging in street corner preaching and evangelism. Shortly after arriving, the eleven were confronted by counter-demonstrators called The Pink Angels equipped with...

PHILADELPHIA - Four members of a conservative Christian group may resume picketing gay-themed events in Philadelphia after a judge lifted a restriction that kept them away. Common Pleas Court Judge Pamela Dembe called the restriction an unreasonable restraint on free speech. "We cannot restrict people's right to speak or to be near those who might not wish to hear them into the future," Dembe said Friday. Dembe overturned a ruling by Municipal Court Judge William A. Meehan against the demonstrators, who are affiliated with a local group called Repent America and who say their opposition to homosexuality is based on...

The four adult defendants who are part of the "Philadelphia 5," Christians who have been criminally charged for preaching at a homosexual event last fall, won a court battle today when a judge removed the bail requirement that they stay at least 100 feet away from any homosexual gathering. "The judge dissolved the bail restriction," the defendants' attorney Scott Shields told WND. Court of Common Pleas Judge Pamela Dembe ruled the bail requirement was an "unusual restriction on a person's right to speech." "We're gratified with the ruling," Shields said. "This judge recognized that my clients definitely do have the...

PC IS A DIRTY acronym in my house. My negative views of political correctness are so strong that I recently wrote a book on the subject. So when I first heard reports that political correctness stopped Christians from assembling and preaching the gospel at a gay rally, I thought I knew on which side I would stand. Trouble is, I know the players. And politically correct they're not. I refer to the brouhaha over October's Philadelphia celebration of OutFest. Now, months later, because of a combination of criminal prosecutions, Internet kerosene and a segment on "The O'Reilly Factor," there's a...

SPECIAL REPORT [Intermediate Draft-- looking for input] In Philadelphia, once known as the City of Brotherly Love, eleven Christian protesters were arrested on October 10, 2004, when they paid a homosexual 'block party' a little visit, wielding bullhorns and Bibles, and singing Christian hymns. Leader of 'the Philadelphia Four', as the press is calling it, is Michael Marcavage, who spent a night in jail, along with 10 other protesters. Marcavage is actually leader of a group called Repent America. He is a Christian who may get as many as 47 years in prison for daring to preach to homosexuals, as...

TESTING THE FAITH Motion filed for Philadelphia protesters Christians evangelizing at homosexual event seek federal relief Posted: January 13, 20051:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com One of the attorneys for the Christian protesters who are criminally charged for evangelizing at an outdoor homosexual event in Philadelphia has renewed an appeal in federal court, citing the Supreme Court statement "Speech cannot be ... punished or banned simply because it might offend a hostile mob." The filing by the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy seeks emergency relief in federal district court based on evidence from a December preliminary hearing. As WorldNetDaily...

Christian Group Charged With Hate Crime Prosecutors Say Group Tried To Incite Riot At Gay Gathering PHILADELPHIA -- A group of activists have been hauled into court for an unusual reason -- they are charged with hate crimes because they protested at a gay and lesbian rally. Members of the Christian group Repent America face up to 47 years in prison for what the city of Philadelphia calls hate crimes. Four defendants are charged with ethnic intimidation and rioting -- among other things -- after preaching at a gay festival. In October 2004, Michael Marcavage and four other members of...

On Friday, Michael Marcavage, director of Repent America, and his attorney, Scott Shields of Shields and Hoppe, who is the criminal defense attorney for the 'Philadelphia 5', will appear on Good Morning America to discuss the OutFest arrests and the blatant disregard for our civil liberties.

A documentary filmmaker who happened to be interviewing the leader of 11 Christian protesters on the day they were arrested at an outdoor homosexual event in Philadelphia says the extend of the charges against five of the people – which could lead to 47 years in prison – amounted to a "Christian Rodney King" scenario. As WorldNetDaily reported, on Oct. 10, the group was "preaching God's Word" to a crowd of people attending the Philadelphia event and displaying banners with biblical messages. After a confrontation with a group called the Pink Angels, described by protesters as "a militant mob of...

...On October 10, 2004, the four Christians were arrested in Philadelphia. They are part of Repent America. Along with founder Michael Marcavage, members of Repent America-with police approval--were preaching near Outfest, a homosexual event, handing out Gospel literature and carrying banners with Biblical messsages. When they tried to speak, they were surrounded by a group of radical homosexual activists dubbed the Pink Angels. A videotape of the incident shows the Pink Angels interfering with the Christians' movement on the street, holding up large pink symbols of angels to cover up the Christians' messages and blowing high pitched whistles to drown...

UPDATE: Homosexual Attorneys from Justice Department Advise Philadelphia Police On Arresting Christians One Internet news service says not to expect an investigation because of the involvement of the Justice Department homosexual attorneys A few days ago I wrote you about the situation in Philadelphia in which four Christians were arrested. They are charged with eight crimes, including three felonies: possession of instruments of crime (a bullhorn), ethnic intimidation (saying that homosexuality is a sin), and inciting a riot (reading from the Bible some passages relating to homosexuality) despite the fact that no riot occurred. They face a possible 47 years...

TUPELO, Mi., January 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A source from the U.S. Justice Department reported to WorldNetDaily that homosexual attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division attended a homosexual event called "OutFest" in Philadelphia last ...

Prosecutors continue to press felony charges against 4 Christian men and one juvenile for their activities at Philadelphia’s OutFest in October. The group was organized by Repent America, a Philadelphia-based evangelism ministry. Robert Knight, director of CWA’s Culture & Family Institute, says the Department of Justice (DOJ) should intervene in this case, but there is troubling news from WorldNet Daily that such help may not be offered. Listen to audio Policy Analyst for CWA talk with Robert Knight Director of CWA's Culture & Family Institute about Philly 5(including teen)

"Hate Crime" charges against four Christian men, facing a total of 47 years in prison, were dropped after the judge viewed the tape of the incident. Four Christian men were charged with “hate crime” felony when in fact they were peacefully protesting a homosexual street event on October 10, 2004 in Philadelphia. Concerned Women for America (CWA) urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to intervene. The four adult defendants, who face a total of 47 years in prison if convicted of the three felonies and five misdemeanors, pled not guilty. “The District Attorney’s office went berserk, saddling them with...

What we have been saying has now happened. You cannot quote what the Bible has to say about homosexuality in public or you will be charged with a "hate crime." Philadelphia is only the beginning. If we fail to take a stand here, this "crime" will soon be applied across America. In the 27 years of this ministry, I have never witnessed a more outrageous miscarriage of justice than what is happening in Philadelphia. Four Christians are facing up to 47-years in prison and $90,000 in fines for preaching the Gospel on a public sidewalk, a right fully protected by...

Wednesday, January 5, 2005 TESTING THE FAITHU.S. attorneys complicit in arrest of Christians?Source says homosexual government lawyers advised Philadelphia police at 'OutFest' eventPosted: January 5, 20051:00 a.m. Eastern By Ron Strom © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com Homosexual attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division not only attended a large homosexual event in Philadelphia last year, but they advised police on the scene who arrested 11 Christian protesters, says a source within the agency. According to the Justice Department employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, a number of agency attorneys from Washington, D.C., attended the October "OutFest" event, and, he says,...

                      'Philly 4' Case Hits Prime Time with O'ReillyAttorney for Christians Calls Incident Clear Case of 'Anti-Christian Bigotry'By Ed Thomas and Jody Brown January 4, 2005(AgapePress) - The right of Christians to assemble and preach the gospel in public is under examination in Philadelphia. Four of the eleven Christians who preached at the "gay pride" event "Outfest" in early October -- all of whom were arrested -- are now facing prison time of up to 47 years. The "Philadelphia Four", as they have come to known, are facing felony charges -- and are accused...

Justifying Effort to Jail Christians, Officials Make Baseless Claims Tupelo, MS - “We have videotape of the entire incident, the city has a videotape of the entire incident, the facts are before the nation, and the unimpeachable facts conclusively establish that this City is out of control.” – Brian Fahling, AFA Center for Law and Policy Senior Trial Attorney. Philadelphia city officials now claim that a videotape of the events leading up to the arrests of 11 Christians does not reflect one of the Philly 11, Michael Marcavage, allegedly interrupting an onstage performance at the “Outfest” where the events took...

11 Christians now face up to 47 years in jail for protesting at a homosexual event(Outfest!) in Philadelphia. Many know about this, but I think that some still haven't seen the video that Repent America produced when attending this event.

Eleven Christians were arrested on October 10 for praying, singing, and reading scriptures during an annual "gay pride" event known as "Outfest" in Philadelphia. Four out of the eleven were ordered on Tuesday, December 14 to stand trial because they were seen quoting scripture on a video. The charges include three felony (criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation, and riot) and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, they could face up to 47 years in prison! The Philadelphia judge and prosecutor have labeled the Bible hate speech and called Bible verses "fighting words." The Pink Angels, homosexual activists, did everything they could to...

I'm amazed when seemingly intelligent people tell me they still think the American Civil Liberties Union is a group that fights for First Amendment freedoms no matter whose ox is being gored. If that's the case, why is the ACLU not filing amicus briefs in Philadelphia where four Christians are facing 47 years in jail for expressing their free-speech rights? That's right. Four Christians are facing 47 years in prison for peacefully quoting the Bible, an action an unglued local prosecutor determined to be "fighting words" when cited among homosexual activists. It all started Oct. 10, when a total of...

Four Christian protesters who demonstrated at a Philadelphia homosexual event face a possible 47 years in prison if convicted of felony charges filed against them, while a prosecutor referred to Scripture verses they read as "fighting words." The four are part of 11 demonstrators who went before the Philadelphia Municipal Court in a preliminary hearing this week. Judge William Austin Meehan Tuesday ordered four of the Christians to stand trial on three felony and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, they could a maximum of 47 years in prison. As WorldNetDaily reported, on Oct. 10, the group was "preaching God's Word"...

Michael Marcavage is the leader of Repent America, a Christian group based in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) area. Repent America is known for its activism on the behalf of traditional morality, especially with the pro-life and pro-traditional marriage causes. Mr. Marcavage has been in the news recently, ever since he and 10 other Christian activists were arrested on October 10, 2004, after protesting at a homosexual street fest in Philadelphia. They were charged with three (3) felonies and five (5) misdemeanors. Among the felony charges were Criminal Conspiracy, Ethnic Intimidation and Riot. 7 of the protesters had the charges against them...

PHILADELPHIA, December 17, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of eleven Christians were arrested on October 10 for praying, singing, and reading scripture during an annual "gay pride" event known as "Outfest" in Philadelphia. The members of the group were charged with three felony (criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation, and riot) and five misdemeanor charges. An appeal to a federal appeals court to stop the prosecution was denied Tuesday. Further, charges were dropped against seven of the men and women. However, Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ordered four of the group members to stand trial on the charges. If convicted,...

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." John 15:18 Dear Friends, I assume that by now all of you are well-acquainted with the outrage that is unfolding in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This past October, eleven Christians were arrested on the public sidewalk and each charged with five misdemeanor crimes and three felonies for sharing the gospel at a public sodomite event. I have done a number of "Heart of the Matter" programs on this story, and it has been well-aired by others as well. On today's HOM, www.theheartofthematteronline.com/archive.asp?archiveID=1162 you can hear the latest...

Four Christians will stand trial for preaching the Gospel during and a “gay pride” event in Philadelphia. They could receive a sentence of up to 47 years in prison. Saturday, Dec. 18, 2004 Posted: 2:53:07PM EST On Tuesday, the Philadelphia federal appeals court denied an emergency appeal to halt prosecution of 11 Christians. While charges were dropped against 7 of the participants, four of the Christians are facing trial where they could receive up to 47 years in prison. On October 10, eleven Christians with Repent America were arrested during the annual “Outfest”, a gay pride event held in Philadelphia....

Four people who were arrested during a confrontation at an annual homosexual pride event in Philadelphia could spend up to 47 years in prison for public reading of Scripture, an attorney for a pro-family organization said on Thursday. Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association (AFA) Center for Law and Policy, is representing the group in court. He claims the Christian activists are being persecuted simply for exercising their constitutional rights. "They were exercising their First Amendment rights in a public forum, and we have videotape that demonstrates that," Fahling said. The case began on Oct. 10,...

TESTING THE FAITH City will prosecute Christian protestersA federal appeals court denied an emergency appeal to stop prosecution of 11 Philadelphia-area Christians who allege the District Attorney's office retaliated against them for exercising their constitutional rights at a homosexual event in which they were arrested and later charged with felonies...the group was "preaching God's Word" to a crowd of people attending the outdoor Philadelphia "OutFest" event and displaying banners with biblical messages....the eleven Christians were arrested and spent a night in jail.(they were charged with)3 felonies and 5 misdemeanors. The charges were criminal conspiracy, possession of instruments of crime (NOTE:Bibles),...

Appeal to the Supreme Court last hope for Christians “First, symbols of Christianity are removed from the public square; now, Christians are facing 47 years in prison because they preached the gospel in the public square. Stalin would be proud,” – Brian Fahling, AFA Center for Law and Policy Senior Trial Attorney. Tupelo, MS - After a federal appeals court denied an emergency appeal to stop prosecution of 11 Christians on Tuesday, Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ordered four of the Christians to stand trial on three felony (criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation, and riot) and five misdemeanor charges....

Philly Court Orders Four Christians to Trial December 15, 2004 Philly Court Orders Four Christians to Trial; Emergency Appeal Likely Attorney Contends Reading Scripture in Public Landed Them in Jail By Allie Martin December 15, 2004 (AgapePress) - An attorney with a pro-family ministry says a judge's decision on Tuesday, ordering four Christians in Philadelphia to stand trial for witnessing at a homosexual pride event, is comparable to the atmosphere of the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s. In October, 11 Christians were arrested as they were praying and reading scripture during the annual "gay pride" event known...