Spring Break
Two Louisiana men promote religious beliefs on Quad
Students react with song, Campus Police officers respond to scene
Alexandra Gifford
Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: Campus
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04/25/07 - Sunbathing and homework weren't the only things happening on the Quadrangle yesterday afternoon. Two unidentified men stayed for hours "speaking the words of God" while shouting at passing students that they were "going to hell."
URI Campus Police, which sent five cruisers and at least five officers to the Quad, said the pair was from Louisiana and had come to share their beliefs at several different college campuses.
Despite disrupting many students' leisurely afternoons, the police said the two men were exercising their First Amendment rights and were legally allowed to gather on the quad provided they remained peaceful.
Some URI students were outraged by a sign that condemned groups such as "Jesus mockers, porno perverts, Roman Catholics, money lovers [and] baby killing women."
Students yelled and screamed while debating with both men and one squirted them with water from a bottle. At one point police took an unidentified student into custody for tackling one of the men, but he was quickly released and returned to the Quad.
Later, freshman Shane Lee argued with the men before performing an improvised song with the help of two passing freshman. As Steve Carroll played the drums and Shaun O'Loughlin played the guitar, Lee sang about building a URI community and not fostering animosity. He later led about 100 students in chanting "We're URI, we're URI."
"We've heard enough," Lee said. "In no way is [the world] all negative like [the protester's] perspective."
According to police, college campuses in the New England area become a magnet for "Southern Bible Belt" groups around this time of year.
Managing Editor Chris Barrett contributed to this report.
