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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Just Go Away, Retailers Tell Protesters

PHILADELPHIA (CN) - A Philadelphia retail center asked a state court to bar racist, misogynist, homophobic protesters from congregating and spreading hate messages through a loudspeaker near its entrance on Chestnut Street.

Liberty Place Retail Associates sued the Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge and John Does in State Court.

Retail Associates operated The Shops at Liberty Place, a retail mall in the 61-story One Liberty Place downtown office tower.

It claims that since November 2012 the group has met on Friday afternoons near its 16th and Chestnut Street entrance, using a loudspeaker to "take turns preaching hate toward whites, homosexuals and women."

According to the complaint, the defendants' comments have included: "You hate the white man? So do I;" "The white man is the devil," "A faggot doing what he's doing to another faggot is not marriage according to the Bible;" "A man putting his rod inside a woman is marriage according to the Bible;" "A woman need to shut her damn mouth;" and, to a white person, "You deserve to be hated."

The Retail Associates say, "The Israelite demonstrations are highly offensive to many of the patrons and retail tenants of The Shops. ... The Shops ha(ve) lost customers as a result of these demonstrators because patrons do not wish to be insulted and verbally accosted as they enter The Shops at the 16th Street entrance. Moreover, the demonstrations have become such a nuisance that retail tenants of The Shops have complained, placing The Shops at risk of losing high-end commercial lessees.

"The Israelite demonstrations take place on private property. The Israelite demonstrators do not have permission from The Shops to use the entrance-way or any adjacent area as a demonstration site. The Shops has repeatedly requested that the Israelites refrain from demonstrating on The Shops property, but the Israelites have refused.

"For the reasons set forth below, this Court should enjoin further unlawful

demonstrations, trespass, and nuisance on The Shops' property."

The Retail Associates are represented by Jason Gosselin with Drinker Biddle & Reath.

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