Aussie Gays Win Pope Protest Battle

365gay.com is reporting that an Australian Court has struck down the draconian regulations that were passed to restrict the speech and actions of anyone who might want to voice protest over the visit of the Nazi Pope, Benedict XVI, in conjunction with World Youth Day. The new regulations had made behavior that "caused annoyance or inconvenience" to festival participants punishable by fines up $5,300. The language of the regulations was thus so open ended and vague that in addition to resricting free speech, it was open to arbitrary and capricious abuse (in fact, the language was like something the Chimperator and Emperor Cheney would have loved). Here are highlights:

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(Sydney, Australia) A court struck down a new law Tuesday that banned people from annoying participants of a Roman Catholic youth festival in Australia that the pope plans to attend, ruling that the law restricted free speech. The ruling handed down on the opening day of the six-day World Youth Day festival paves the way for activists to hand out condoms and coat hangers - symbolizing abortions - to pilgrims in a demonstration planned for Saturday. Three federal court judges ruled that the law was invalid under Australia's constitution because they limited freedom of speech.

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The legal challenge was brought by two activists from the NoPope Coalition, a group of gay rights and secular activists. The coalition is planning a rally on Saturday at which activists said they would wear T-shirts condemning Pope Benedict XVI and hand out condoms and coat hangers to pilgrims taking part in a procession through Sydney.

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"We now have a lot more confidence to take to the streets to condemn Pope Benedict's policies against condom use, against contraception, against homosexuality," said Rachel Evans, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. "We are glad that the court has ruled that we do have the freedom of expression to communicate our political views on Saturday."

Pope Go Homo

"Pope Go Homo" is one of the slogans that will be used by protesters who are not thrilled with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, a/k/a the Nazi Pope, a/k/a God's Rottweiler, to Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day. Adding to the protesters unhappiness is the outrageous ordinance adopted by local officials - it sounds like something the Nazi or Communist Party would have liked - to try to counter any protests of the Nazi Pope's visit. The law gives authorities the power to stop and fine anyone engaging in behavior that "causes annoyance or inconvenience" to the Prada Pope and/or the Church sponsored gathering. My sympathies definitely are on the side of the protesters. Here are some highlights from 365gay.com:

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(Sydney, Australia) Wearing T-shirts that read "Pope Go Homo" and "The pope is wrong, put a condom on!," a dozen demonstrators poked fun Wednesday at a new Australian law meant to protect participants of next week's World Youth Day from being annoyed by opponents.

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The new rules, which critics have panned as a form of censorship, give authorities the power to order anyone to stop behavior that "causes annoyance or inconvenience" to the 250,000 pilgrims expected in Sydney for the Roman Catholic festival being held July 15-20. Anyone who doesn't comply could face a fine of $5,300.

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Police and the New South Wales state government say they are a necessary security measure. Libertarians and rights activists disagree. "These annoyance laws are outrageous," said Rachel Evans, a spokeswoman for the NoToPope Coalition that helped organize Wednesday's protest. The coalition, made up of gay rights, student and atheist groups, is planning a July 19 march to protest what it calls the pope's homophobic and antiquated ideas. The group is also planning to distribute condoms to young pilgrims and speak with them about human rights issues. The Church bans the use of condoms and other forms of artificial birth control, another point of irritation for protesters at Wednesday's gathering, dubbed the annoying protest.

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To Charlton, the annoyance law is just another in a string of poor decisions by Australia's leaders. "They can't get anything right, this government," said Charlton, 57, of Sydney. "If they'd have shut up, there would have been a little (demonstration) Saturday week of a few people. Now there's gonna be thousands, because Sydneysiders are saying we want to keep our rights, which are being eroded away."

Catholic World Youth Day

Just as a great many public tax dollars were used to faciliate Pope Benedict VXI's disingenuous PR visit to the USA, so too Australian tax dollars are now being used to facilitate Catholic World Youth Day and a visit by Benedict XVI (a/k/a, Pope Sidious to quote Magic Bellybutton) to Australia. Worse yet, draconian fines are threatened to be levied against anyone who might cause a disruption during his Unholiness' visit to Sydney. I hold nothing against Catholic youth, but the idea of sponsoring a lion has a certain attraction if the Church hierarchy could be thrown into the stadium in lieu of the youth. :)