 The Festival Against Bigotry at City Hall, Friday, July
23, 2004. View this photomontage full size
This
huge flag was
unfurled across the street from OSA's final rally in Battelle
Park.
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They took their  and went!
OSA departed City Hall Friday afternoon, and held their last rally at
Battelle Park Friday night. The Festival Against Bigotry was a
success! Saturday morning at Capital Care was uneventful, and as far
as we know OSA participants never showed up at other locations on High
Street including Stonewall. Details to follow soon, along with video
and other website updates. A followup meeting for activists and others
who've had to deal with OSA in the past week is also in the works.
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On this page:
First, a few thank yous:
Thank you to everyone who came out to City Hall during OSA's
"controversial weeklong campout," or to the Saturday morning presence
across the street from Capital Care. Simply coming out to say "NO" to
Operation Save America helped to undercut any support OSA could have
gained from local individuals or churches for their bigoted and
hateful rhetoric.
And thanks to those police officers and city officials who have
exercised extraordinary restraint and patience through a very
difficult and unprecedented situation.
Also, thanks to all those Columbus businesses that put a big yellow
"NO" sign out in their front window during the week. Please visit and
patronize these shops - they really deserve your business!
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Latest News | Last updated Tuesday July 27, 2004, 1:15 am |
Sunday July 25: The Toledo Blade Reports
Disruption Of Church Service Attended By John Kerry
According to the report, this morning's church service at First
Church of God was visited by a number of people who are likely OSA
participants who stuck around for an extra day to protest John Kerry's
visit to Columbus. OSA leaders earlier confirmed that a few people
would remain through Sunday for this purpose. From the article:
Abortion opponents, with graphic photos of aborted fetuses, shouted at
Mr. Kerry as his motorcade arrived at the 4,000-member church, which
is predominantly African-American.
Bishop Timothy Clarke, the senior pastor, introduced Mr. Kerry. "We
have our senator here today, but most of all Jesus is here today," he
said.
As Mr. Kerry stepped to the podium to speak, a man near the front
stood up and shouted "Quit killing babies, you phony."
Church security personnel escorted the man out of the church.
Thursday July 22: OSA Formally, Publicly Transitions
to Hate Group; Burns Koran, Rainbow Flag and Copy Of Supreme Court
"Roe v. Wade" Decision At City Hall
Not much else to say, other than that along with OSA head Flip
Benham, Central Ohio former high school football coach, and talk show host on
Columbus radio station WRFD, Dave Daubenmire, was an active
participant in this event.
Tuesday July 20: OSA Rally Devolves Into Expensive, Police-Taunting Farce
As of 12:15 AM Wednesday morning (Tuesday night) OSA's
rally at City Hall, which had started around 6:30 pm, was still in
progress, with a twist: a group of OSA participants was carrying what
looked like a steel kettle around the streets of Columbus and stopping
at various
landmarks to pray, while being tailed by at least two police officers on
bicycles.
This is part of an apparent strategy to provoke Columbus Police, which stems
from an apparent dispute over a burn permit for Tuesday evening that OSA alleges
they applied for but was rejected.
Police were out in force this evening. OSA is costing the city a lot of resources and playing silly games, and they apparently think that this "martyr me harder" strategy of provocation will bring more churches on board with them.
Tuesday July 20: OSA Head Benham Calls United Way a "Dark Filthy Cesspool" and "Terrible Horrible Organization"
Operation Save America showed up in front of United Way of Central
Ohio headquarters on South Third Street this morning at about 11
am. They targeted United Way because it has dropped its relationship
with the Boy Scouts of America.
View video and partial transcript of Flip Benham's comments about United Way
Benham also commented about the
yellow signs that have appeared along High Street and elsewhere in the
city, proclaiming his expectation that they would lead to persecution, jail
and eventual death for Christians.
Sunday July 18: Two Un-Welcoming Events A Success
Both the Un-Welcoming Rally Saturday afternoon that greeted OSA
after they came walking down Broad Street to City Hall, and Sunday
night's "opportunity to say NO to OSA," were a great success, with as
many as 100 people on Saturday and 30 on Sunday. Pictures from
Saturday are on our event photos page.
Sunday July 18: OSA Says They Visited Xenos Christian
Fellowship and Rod Parsley's World Harvest Church
Following OSA's assembly Sunday night, it was announced that OSA
participants had visited Xenos Christian Fellowship and World Harvest
Church earlier today. Allegedly, police were called to remove OSA
participants from private property at Xenos.
Thursday July 15: OSA Issues Press Release, Openly Calls for
"Second American Revolution"
Today's
OSA press release can be found on the US
Newswire site. The following is quoted from that release and was
attributed to OSA director Flip Benham:
"It is time for a second American Revolution! We are fed up! We are
absolutely fed up with the United States Senate and the elected
officials who vote their own prejudice and narrow-minded causes rather
than the will of God and the people who elected them! Mainstream
America is not in favor of and will not accept homosexual, unnatural
unions. Marriage is the bond between one woman and one man before
Almighty God. No action or inaction of politicians, who are basically
evil, or too weak to stand up for what is right, will change this. WE
ARE FED UP! We are through with waiting for our government to do what
is right. Now, we will act!
"Our nation has been turned upside down by the enemies of Christ
(abortion, homosexuality, Islam, etc.) With the help of Jesus Christ,
Ruler of the universe, we will turn it right side up. No more waiting
for politicians who stand for nothing and fall for everything! It
begins in Columbus, the heart of the nation, and will spread to every
point across America."
July 14: OSA Announces They've Lost Columbus Host Church (Smyrna Baptist); Event Still On
From an article on the OSA website posted early this morning:
We've lost the Columbus church that was going to host our nightly rallies. Flip asked to have the saints pray about this and to remind everyone that this is not our battle but the Lord's. He said, "We planned our way, but it's up to the Lord to direct our steps." (Proverbs 16:9 paraphrased.) More and more old friends are coming to their camp to visit. John Reyes is there. So is the Heldreth family. Flip said more are due to arrive today. He sounded eager to see everyone and said, "Tell the folks to come on, we're waiting!"
See more about OSA's Columbus host church
that came and went in the course of about 9 days.
News Archive
Feature Articles | Last updated July 15, 2004 |
By Mike Doughney and Lauren Sabina Kneisly
More than you'd ever want to know about what Operation Save America
and their local supporters say about the city of Columbus, and
why the say the awful things that they do.
Full Story
By Mike Doughney and Lauren Sabina Kneisly
Vigilante enforcers of the so-called "culture war" will be targeting the city of Columbus this summer. Operation Save America, the organization that once called itself Operation Rescue and was infamous for its actions targeting abortion clinics, has named Columbus as the target of its week-long national event beginning July 17.
Full Story
Media Coverage | Last updated July 27, 2004 |
Stories marked with a  include
video.
"Use of undercover police at events criticized;
Police say efforts to keep the peace put them in crowd," The Columbus
Dispatch, Tuesday, July 27, 2004 (subscription required)
"Kerry attempts to swing Ward 62; Ohio presidential bellwether greets
Democratic candidate with mixture of cheers, jeers," The Columbus
Dispatch, Monday, July 26, 2004 (subscription required)
"Kerry
campaigns in battleground Columbus ward; Democrat speaks of religious
pluralism, visits black church," The Toledo Blade, July 26, 2004
"Use
of Undercover Police Questioned; Officer in scuffle looked like
protester, some say," The Columbus Dispatch, July 24, 2004
(subscription required)
"Man
arrested at protest rally," The Columbus Dispatch, July 23, 2004
(subscription required)
"'YOU'RE A
SICK CITY' - Baiting cops, bashing gays and bearing a fetus, Operation
Save America is having a fine week in Columbus," The Other Paper, July
22, 2004
"Officials
consider rules after weeklong protest," The Columbus Dispatch, July
22, 2004 (subscription required)
"Activists start abortion-protest week:
Operation Save America rallies outside City Hall, local doctors' offices," The Columbus Dispatch, July 20, 2004 (subscription required)
"'Operation
Save America' Sparks Controversy", 10TV WBNS, July 17, 2004
"'Operation Save America' Marches In," 10TV WBNS, July 16, 2004
"'Save America' group can't handle progress," Letter to the Editor from Mike Doughney, The Columbus Dispatch, June 21, 2004
"Traveling abortion foes make waves in Sedalia," The Sedalia (Missouri)
Democrat, Thursday, June 17, 2004
"I'm not 'pro-choice,' I'm pro-abortion," Letter to the Editor from Sabina Kneisly, The Other Paper, June 10, 2004
"Christian group plans rallies, protests," The Columbus Dispatch, June 7, 2004
"Conservative activists bear down on Columbus," The Other Paper, May 27, 2004, page 5
Media Coverage Archive
Summary of Columbus Area Churches Supporting OSA | Last updated July 27,
2004 |
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High Street Baptist Church, 7399 North High Street,
Columbus, Ohio, 43235. Pastor: Charles E. Mainous III
Hosted breakfast with OSA head Flip Benham, July 6,
2004; was allegedly contributing a bus for use by OSA
which didn't show up during the event week.
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Also, the bus that was used to transport OSA participants was lettered "Church of the Nazarene, Obetz, Oh."
What you can do right now
Write to the Columbus Dispatch in response to their July 20 article on OSA's visit., particularly if
you've been present to say "NO" to OSA and can comment first hand on
what they're saying about Columbus
Sign up for our public
e-mail announcement list. We'll be announcing a followup meeting,
possible future events, further site
updates and the availability of online video and other new content in
the future. Be sure
to reply to the "Mailing list subscription confirmation notice for
mailing list Theanswerisno-announce" e-mail message, with the subject
line of "confirm," that you should receive shortly after submitting
your e-mail address.
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