UPDATE: Anti-Gay Marriage Male sends e-mail response re: attack on Marriage Equality Female

[bbernardini]

I sent a nasty e-mail, and got this back:

Worcester County Freedom Trail
Let the People Vote Rally in Worcester Draws 200
About 200 people showed up yesterday for the "Let the People Vote" rally at
Worcester City Hall. As I emceed, I had a great view of the entire event.
The crowd was enthusiastic and our point was made: it's time for the
legislature to stop trampling on the Massachusetts Constitution and the
rights of citizens. Article 48 clearly states that the legislature "shall"
take a vote on citizen initiated petitions. This includes the traditional
marriage amendment, which has been recessed into inaction twice now, and the
healthcare amendment, which was sent to a "study group," a fate worse than
death.

Speakers at the event included Kris Mineau, President of Mass Family
Institute and director of VoteonMarriage.org, the marriage petition
organization. Chip Faulkner, Associate Director of Citizens for Limited
Taxation, also spoke; his group has been involved in cititzen petitions for
over two decades, including our beloved Proposition 2 1/2. George Kohl,
Pastor of Belmont Street Baptist Church, spoke about how he is outraged that
our legislators have turned their backs on the voters. Jane Burdzell,
Leicester, one of the early activists involved in gathering signatures for
the marriage petition, spoke about the sad state of society when the faith
of our forefathers is relegated to a virtually non-existent role.

Finally, Ambassador Ray Flynn spoke about the importance of holding
legislators accountable. He discussed the new federal lawsuit that is aimed
at the 109 legislators who voted to recess the Constitutional Convention in
November. They are being sued inidividually for denying citizens their First
and Fourth Amendment rights. Included among those being sued are:

- Rep. James Leary, Worcester

- Rep. Harold Naughton, Clinton

- Rep. Jennifer Flanagan, Leominster

- Sen. Harriette Chandler, Worcester

- Sen. Ed Augustus, Worcester

Contact these legislators and let them know how you feel about their votes.
You can call download the "Wanted Posters" or use the Voter Voice system at
http://votervoice.net/Core.aspx?AID=548& .

At the rally, we thanked the legislators who upheld the Constitution and
voted AGAINST a recess. These include Rep. John Fresolo (Worcester), Rep.
Mark Carron (Southbridge), Rep. George Peterson (Grafton), Rep. Karyn Polito
(Shrewsbury), Rep. Lew Evanglidis (Holden), and Rep. Paul Frost (Auburn).

Our sincere thanks to Joe's crew at Worcester Sound for providing us with an
excellent setup that let the speakers be heard above the traffic and above
the 20 or so protestors that showed up.

As a side note, I'd like to clear up the Worcester Telegram's front page
story about the rally. Catholic Citizenship's Larry Cirignano did indeed
move one of the protestors out of the way of the speaker's podium as she was
hindering our legal right to speak (we had all our city permits while the
protestors did not). And yes, he moved her into the crowd, toward the area
where the protestors were standing. But no, there was no assault. According
to bystanders, the protestor took the fall on purpose. She was all too quick
with her pat reply about "this is what happens when." And along the way,
she, in fact, assaulted one of the teenagers in the crowd, trampling on the
teen before she fell.

Posted in Constitution, Faith & Politics, Local News, Media December 17th,
2006 by sharilee |

ACLU Board Member Assaulted by Anti-Gay Marriage Organizer
by Kevin Ksen Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006 at 1:29 PM


.


dscf0204.jpg, image/jpeg, 2567x1789

The license plate on the van driving CatholicVote.Org, Executive Director
Larry Cirignano out of Worcester and on to his next destination read, "MIR",
peace in Russian, but that was far from what Cirignano's self-named, "Rally
for Democracy" brought to Worcester City Hall's steps.

An estimated 200 people encircled Cirignano and his podium, many holding
"Let the People Vote" signs, a reference to the MA State Legislature's
decision on November 9 to recess the constitutional convention instead of
voting on an amendment to ban same-sex marriage and allowing the measure to
go on the MA ballot in 2008.

But while the verbal harangue's directed at gay and lesbian community
members was to be expected from this group, no one in the crowd expected
Cirignano to lash out, assault and knock one of the civil rights
demonstrators to the ground.

Early in the event, as the first few speakers shouted from the podium, Sarah
Loy a member of the Board of Directors of the ACLU stepped forward. She too
had a pre-printed sign, but hers read, "No Discrimination in the
Constitution ~ MassEquality.Org". Hurt and bothered by what the first
speakers said, Loy said she felt moved, "I wanted the people that were
listening to the speakers to see what our signs said." "I wasn't trying to
disrupt anything; all I wanted to do was stand on the side so they could see
my sign as well."

It was at that point, in front of the 200 listening to the speakers and
several home video cameras that Cirignano angrily came up from behind Loy,
grabbed her and shoved her to the ground.



I spoke with Cirignano after the rally and asked him his side of what
happened, "That lady came up to the podium and I escorted her back into the
audience." Given what had transpired, I followed-up to make sure I heard
correctly, "Escorted?", "Yes, escorted", he replied. Asked if he felt he
assaulted her he shot back without hesitation, "Hell, no!" adding,"She's an
actress, she's a professional actress."

Immediately after the assault took place Loy and others turned to the
Worcester Police Officers present at the rally. And while the officers
quickly took Loy's complaint, they responded that since they had not seen
the assault happen they couldn't put Mr. Cirignano under arrest. In fact it
was only after the intervention of Ron Madnick, Executive Director of the
Worcester ACLU Chapter that officers agreed to take statements from
witnesses who had stepped forward. At first officers said they didn't need
to take statements, but faced with Madnick's and witnesses' persistence they
did. It did not appear though that they spoke with any of the people that
videotaped the assault.

The rally continued uninterrupted as Police took Cirignano off to the side
to question him. He was unfazed and non-apologetic as he was interviewed and
charged.

As the speakers continued, MassEquality supporters rallied alongside,
buttressed by a bicycle contingent from Worcester's Earn-A-Bike. Same sex
marriage supporters then remained in front of City Hall as the anti-gay
marriage group packed-up their vans and signs. Pastor Judy Hanlon from
Hadwen Park Congregational Church was one of several ministers that
remained. "We need to re-consecrate this land", she proclaimed, as the 20
remaining people soon moved from frustration and sadness to song and
laughter.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. wild time in Worcester

I have friends there-a gay couple with children. I'll have to email them and find out if they were at the rally and saw the incident.

[bbernardini]

2. Kick!