Meramec students engage in peaceful protest with local church group
By: LIVIE HALL
Managing Editor
On Monday, Oct. 27, the Christ Fellowship Bible Church led a peaceful protest at STLCC-Meramec’s campus. Pastors Jason Woelm, Tony Miano, Geoffrey Kirkland and two others spoke to Meramec students about their beliefs, inciting uproar between them and the students. Student Antonio Roberson said he and other students were offended.
Roberson saw the sermon from the beginning. He said the group simply showed up in the Student Center Quad and began speaking, with no introduction or announcement. Students were not paying attention until Woelm called out a gay student specifically.Roberson and other students then jumped to the boy’s defense, he said.
“He was saying how much Jesus didn’t like him because he was homosexual and this person he called out was really opinionated,” Roberson said. “In doing so, a lot of people essentially backed him up on his thoughts and that’s where it kind of escalated.”
Student Salim Mistrih had a conversation with a woman preaching with the church about sinning and homosexuality. Students gathered around the two as they talked. Mistrih said the woman got on his nerves. She was telling him everyone who was gay was going to Hell.
“That’s really frustrating because it’s who they are, not what they want to be,” Mistrih said.
Mistrih said he did not understand why Meramec allowed the church to show up to campus and speak to students the way they did. Meramec Campus Police Chief Anthony Russo said as an open campus, anyone can show up and speak to students.
He received an anonymous call about a loud demonstration, at which point he and his officers came to the quad. The police officers were there to protect everyone’s right to free speech and make sure nothing escalated further, Russo said. When a student came to Russo complaining about the church group, he and his officers began handing out complaint forms.
These forms allow the students to effectively voice their concerns and frustrations, Russo said. Many students filled out a form without hesitation the day of the event. These forms were then attached to a police report as a peaceful protest.
Russo said he told his officers he did not like what the group was saying, they were simply saying the gay lifestyle was a sin.
“That is their 110 percent absolute, First Amendment guaranteed right to say that,” Russo said.
Roberson said he had never heard of the church before. He said he felt they did not give out contact information because they did not want the negativity they had caused to follow them.
Russo said groups are allowed to come to Meramec’s campus to speak, but they cannot hand out any pamphlets or information. This is the church’s second time they have come to speak.
Russo said they thanked the officers when they finished and walked away. Roberson said students were left in confusion and anger once the group had gone.
They eventually split up, but tensions remained high. No one followed the pastors as they made their way to the parking lot, but officers did escort them.
“You [the church] came here and caused this uproar, obviously people were really offended by what you said, and you just leave. There was no apology whatsoever,” Roberson said. “It was really weird, the way they went about it. They just grabbed their stuff and left.”
