(The Center Square) — New Hampshire’s state capitol was forced to allow a Satanic “holiday display” under the threat of a free speech lawsuit before vandals tore it down.
The Salem, Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple installed the display at the Concord City Hall Plaza across from the State House, which featured a yellow-eyed, goat-headed figure draped in black. It was set up near a Christmas tree and nativity scene over the weekend, but less than 48 hours later, it was vandalized and taken down. Local authorities said they are investigating.
In a statement, City of Concord officials defended the decision to grant a permit for the display, saying the city faced the likelihood of a First Amendment lawsuit if it didn’t and “needed to choose whether to ban all holiday displays installed by other groups, or otherwise, to allow it.”
“After reviewing its legal options, the city ultimately decided to continue the policy of allowing unattended displays at City Plaza during this holiday season and to allow the statue,” the statement said.
“It is anticipated that the City Council will review next year whether permits for unattended holiday displays should be allowed at City Plaza.”
Concord Mayor Byron Champlin said he initially objected to the permit but was concerned that the group would pursue a costly lawsuit if the permit request was rejected. He plans to ask the city council to tighten its rules on public displays.
“I opposed the permit because I believe the request was made not in the interest of promoting religious equity, but in order to drive an anti-religious political agenda,” Champlin said in a statement.
Other city officials said they support the decision to allow the temple to set up its display, arguing that the group was protected by the same First Amendment rights that allowed the Christmas display on public property.
“It is not the place of Concord City Council to play theologists and decide the definition of religion or if we agree with a particular religion or not,” City Councilor Michele Horne posted on social media. “It has to be either all or nothing in this case.”
But the “Satanic” display drew ridicule from Cornerstone Action, a conservative religious liberty advocacy group, which called it a “tactic to fundraise through media exposure, and because offending Christian grandmothers brings a sense of meaning to their sad lives.”
“They see themselves as conquering the town square for secularism by driving the last nativity scenes and other Christian imagery from public view,” Shanon McGinley, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “Christians should either ridicule these displays as cartoonish or else deny ‘The Satanic Temple’ the attention they use to generate media exposure and funds.”
