PHOENIX (AP) — About 500 protesters gathered outside a Phoenix mosque on Friday as police kept two groups sparring about Islam on separate sides of the street.
The rally initially was organized by a Phoenix man who says he is a former Marine who fought in the Iraq War and believes Islam is a violent religion. About 250 people who carried pistols, assault rifles, American flags and drawings of the Prophet Muhammad rallied on one side of the street outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.
On the opposite side of the street was another equally sized group of protesters, some holding signs promoting love and peace, who came to show their support for the mosque and Muslim community.
As the two sides argued and yelled, dozens of police officers formed a line between them and kept them separated. There were no reports of injuries or arrests at the protest, which lasted several hours and gained attention around the country on social media. Phoenix police estimated about 500 protesters showed up, roughly 250 on each side.
The protest came about month after a shootout outside a Prophet Muhammad cartoon-drawing contest in a Dallas suburb. Two Phoenix men showed up at the event with assault rifles and were killed by police. The men formerly worshipped at the Phoenix mosque where Friday’s protest took place.
Drawings of the Prophet Muhammad are deemed insulting to many followers of Islam and have sparked violence around the world.
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The anti-protestors (the neighbors, other religious groups and supporters against violence) had a larger group protecting the site, then these haters did!
From street level the two crowds looked the same size. But, from the air, it was obvious that the peaceful anti-protestors had a much bigger crowd.
It was nice to see that these folks in Phoenix weren’t going to put up with the haters ruining their city.
It had to be a disappointment to the haters that the Muslims didn’t show up and confront them. What jerks and bigots.
and the hate filled consider themselves patriots…I call them pathetic
My heart goes out to the unfortunate Muslim citizens in Arizona. It’s encouraging to see the peaceful “anti-protestors” there outnumbering the haters.
A man who went to Iraq to help kill people who had done nothing to us declares that others are violent.