The Satanic Temple of Iowa was supposed to throw a holiday celebration on Saturday — exactly one year after a statue depicting the pagan idol Baphomet was destroyed in the display at the State Capitol building in Des Moines — but the state opted to cancel the event.
The Satanic Temple of Iowa alleges the Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS) “forcibly canceled” the event.
“We have made every effort to work with them (Iowa DAS) to ensure a successful event, but after over two months on the official Capitol events calendar we have been informed that our event will no longer be allowed,” the Satanic Temple of Iowa announced on the event’s page on Facebook Friday night.
Members of the Satanic Temple of Iowa planned to sing Satanic carols and hold a Krampus costume contest and a Satanic ritual.
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The Satanic Temple of Iowa did not respond to the Des Moines Register’s request for comment Saturday.
Iowa State Capitol stewards confirmed the Capitol was open Saturday despite the ice storm and that the event was removed from the scheduled events calendar in the days before the event.
“After careful consideration of administrative rule and DAS policy, I determined the totality of the event request to include elements that are harmful to minors and therefore denied the request,” Adam Steen, the director of the Iowa DAS, said in a statement to the Register.
The installation, permitted under state rules governing religious displays in the building, has come under debate and criticism by politicians in Iowa and nationwide. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the politicians who joined a chorus of Republicans calling for its removal last year, while others in the GOP said that, though it is offensive, it is a protected form of free speech.
Michael Cassidy, a former congressional candidate from Mississippi, was charged the following day with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, after he vandalized the display. The Lauderdale, Mississippi, man told the conservative website The Sentinel that, “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
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Hicks said in a statement last year that based on information from the Satanic Temple, the cost to replace or repair the statue would be between $750 and $1,500, making its destruction an aggravated misdemeanor. The Temple later filed a damage estimate putting the cost to replace the statute at $3,000. The state’s hate-crime statute made the charge a felony, Hicks said.
Cassidy was placed on low-level probation in May, according to court documents, and was discharged on Nov. 22. He paid an $855 civil penalty and restitution and met all probation requirements, the documents said.
* Original Article:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/12/15/satanic-holiday-celebration-iowa-capitol/77005730007/
