Crowds gather for anti-Islam demonstration outside Phoenix mosque

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

PHOENIX (Reuters) - About 75 protesters, some armed, gathered on Friday in Arizona outside a mosque for an anti-Islam demonstration featuring cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, weeks after a similar event in Texas came under attack from two gunmen.

The event outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, targeted in part because the two Texas gunmen had worshipped there, was organized by an Iraq war veteran who posted photos of himself online wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Fuck Islam" on it and waving the U.S. flag.

"This is in response to the recent attack in Texas," organizer Jon Ritzheimer wrote on his Facebook page, suggesting demonstrators should come with weapons in case the First Amendment "comes under much anticipated attack."

Outside the mosque, amid a high police presence, demonstrators shouted condemnations of Islam, calling it a "religion of murderers," while about 130 counter-protesters assembled, some chanting, "Love your neighbor."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/crowds-gather-anti-islam-demonstration-outside-phoenix-mosque-011347916.html

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. In the spirit of free speech, I find these a-holes' behavior disgusting.

[BlueJazz]

2. I'm sorry sir but I represent a large group of Rectums. (A-holes to you) My group has asked me to..

...politely inform you to please stop comparing them to those "pieces-of-human-trash" in Arizona.
Thank you sir..

[GGJohn]

8. LOL.

Makes me sad that this is happening in my state. I wish these idiots would just fade away into the dust bin of history.

[7962]

3. Give them NO attention, and they will fade away.

No media, no attacks, whatever. They'll get bored without the spotlight

[Stryst]

4. Isn't Arizona both an open carry and a "stand your ground" state?

I hope this doesn't turn ugly.

[GGJohn]

9. My state of AZ is a Constitutional carry state.

IOW, you don't need a permit to carry, whether it's concealed or open carry.

[Quackers]

5. Isn't this similar to how the Westboro Baptist Church got started? NT

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. No, WBC is just a bunch of lawyers who want to sue people

This is a bunch of losers who want to shoot people.

Only the bait is similar.

[newthinking]

6. The latest boogyman for Fundamentalist Christians is "they are trying to create sharia law"

Seriously,

They believe that Muslims are slowly creating Sharia law in the US.

[jwirr]

7. As a German American this shit makes me sick. Even animals learn from their mistakes. We do not.

[lonestarnot]

10. ackety.

[hollowdweller]

11. These guys are no different than the half wit crowds who do inflammatory stuff in the Middle East.

They should look in the mirror.

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. 75 anti-islam protesters, 130 counter protesters

Pretty good numbers. I hope there's no violence.

[saidsimplesimon]

14. Thank you TX Bushwhacker

Yes, the Love thy neighbor crowd outnumbered the hate and violence crowd. My thanks also go to Mayor Greg Stanton, the Phoenix and State Police. My greatest admiration is for the protesters who brought love to a hate fest.

Arizona is suffering from the SB1070 debacle. We have lost business and tourism business, our just due.

[Feron]

15. I don't like Islam,

..but this is just stupid.

Don't harm other people or codify your faith into law and I don't care what you worship.

And Muslims aren't leaving the country because of some dumbfuck Americans. These idiots are accomplishing nothing other than proving their stupidity to the world.