Homophobic Christians protested a gay nightclub in Utah
A group of homophobic Christians have protested Pride celebrations outside of a club in Utah.
The small group of conservative protesters demonstrated outside of Club Jam, an LGBT club in Salt Lake City.
The group travelled from outside of the state for the protest, which happened on Saturday.
They wore anti-gay clothes which had messages such as “homosexual is a sin” and “Romans chapter one reads your sin of sodomy is worth death”.
Protesters also carried abusive signs and shouted at people entering and exiting the group.
Police were called to the protest.
The group were told to stop using a megaphone, and they were reportedly cooperative.
Despite this, witnesses said that before police turned up they believed that the group may have become violent.
“Some of them came out there and it looked like a tussle was going to ensue, and then like seven cop cars with red and blue lights rammed up and broke it up or else it probably would have gotten pretty physical,” one witness, Shane Curtis, said.
Salt Lake City police lieutenant Scott Smalley said that the group wanted to “incite”.
“It’s a religious group that is preaching against homosexuality,” Smalley explained.
Brandon Purser, who owns the club, said that he and his staff would not acknowledge the protesters.
“I will ask that my employees refrain from any engagement, despite what hostility is sent toward them, the establishment or the LGBTQ community,” Purser said.
The protest only lasted an hour before police shut down the conservative group.
It is believed that they chose to protest on Saturday because Pride festivities began on Friday.
