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Protesters gay the pray away

By on March 23, 2012

An attempt by failed NSW Christian Democrat candidate Peter Madden to hold a Queensland Election Prayer Rally featuring the now infamous ‘hate truck’ has backfired in Brisbane overnight.

Approximately 500 pro-marriage equality protesters flooded King George Square in the Brisbane CBD from late afternoon, forcing the 12 attendees of the prayer rally to retreat to an upper balcony area under police guard.

The hate truck made a brief appearance early in the evening but was forced to depart the square after hundreds of protesters ran towards the vehicle seeking to tear down its signage.

Police hurried to protect the truck from the angry crowd and quickly advised the driver to vacate the area.

One protester was arrested when she attempted to block the truck’s way.

After it appeared that no one was attending the prayer rally, protesters discovered Madden and a few supporters on an elevated area overlooking the square, guarded by 14 police.

In a surreal scene, Madden began playing guitar while his supporters prayed for the ousting of the Labor Party over their civil union legislation. Protesters surrounded the area yelling chants of “Go home, bigot. Go home!” and sounded sirens.

Lismore locals who’d staged a protest last weekend blockading the hate truck and painting slogans featuring the words ‘equal love’ and ‘love not hate’ over its signage, were also present and spoke at the Brisbane rally, which was coordinated by local LGBT activists in response to Stand4Marriage’s anti-gay truck tour.

The religious group claimed the tour, which was due to culminate in the prayer rally, was vital to “pray that God will have His way in Queensland in this election against the wickedness proposed by Anna Bligh and others, (who have pushed hard for the evil agenda of homosexual marriage in Queensland, clearly aimed at Australian children and families)”.

About Drew Sheldrick

36 Comments

  1. Kristy Alger

    March 23, 2012 at 10:00 am


    Peter Madden, when will you learn that your evangelical, homophobic tour is never going to find a welcome in any town or city in Australia? Tuck your tail between your legs and take your hatred and your willful ignorance home.

  2. Mark

    March 23, 2012 at 10:10 am


    Fantastic. Well done guys :)

  3. Dave

    March 23, 2012 at 11:16 am


    Well done to those who refused to let this hate truck kill.

    Madden is about money. He creates a public enemy, “homosexuals”, tries to get his flock to unite against it, and then calls for large cash donations. This is always been about the money to him. We are just a casualty along the way. The majority of Christians support equality as poll after poll shows. He knows this, we know this, and this is just about hate for profit.

    From Anglican Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu.
    “To penalise someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalised for something which we could do nothing [about] — our ethnicity, our race. I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted.” Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeLDsBPSzYg&feature=related

  4. Paul H

    March 23, 2012 at 11:24 am


    12 people and a truck vs the gayz? They’ll have to pray harder than that. Nice work, Brisvegans!

  5. David

    March 23, 2012 at 11:34 am


    Congratulations to all the Queenslanders and there Northern Rivers friends who braved the rain to fight for there rights, What an amazing feeling of love it was, and Congratulations to Star Observer for once again being foremost with the true stories that really count to the community everywhere.

  6. Dario Western

    March 23, 2012 at 11:40 am


    As a Christian myself, I don’t believe that Jesus Christ would be very happy with Peter Madden. In fact he had very sharp words to say against religious leaders like him such as “How dreadful for you teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to God’s Kingdom in people’s faces, yet you yourselves do not enter it.” and “When I return, many will say to me ‘Lord, Lord, in your name did we not heal the sick, perform many miracles and drive out bad spirits?’ and I will say to them ‘I never knew you! Get away me from you evil people!’”, and most famously “Judge not, lest you be judged. Take the plank out of your own eye before trying to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye!”
    Well done to all who turned up, especially our own two “Jesus’” who helped to spread the love and humour around for what was a good fun rally for all. Peter Madden: go and crawl back under the rock which you came from! Brisbane does not want or need your bigoted hate anymore.

  7. djak

    March 23, 2012 at 12:50 pm


    anyone want to take a guess what the song was Peter Madden was playing on his guitar???

  8. Heidi

    March 23, 2012 at 1:06 pm


    hum… something by the Villiage People, or “we are Family”???? LOL!!!

  9. Jess

    March 23, 2012 at 2:15 pm


    God is Love. I dont agree with Peters tatics at all, God is the judge of all. I am a Christian, and I am obiedent to Gods word, he does the saving, he calls people from all walks of life, Jew, Catholic, Drug addict, homosexual, adulterer etc he who is without sin cast the 1st stone. I dont agree with Gay marriage, as it is a covent between God and a man and a woman, Marriage is important if you choose to be obiedent to God. If the government wants to legislate for finacial reasons they should put that to the people. I dont force my beliefs on others and really wish that others dont force theirs on me.

  10. Brenty

    March 23, 2012 at 3:42 pm


    Thank you for fighting the oppressors and those against human rights!

  11. MissTickle

    March 23, 2012 at 4:17 pm


    Well done Brizzie !!! “I’ve got nothing against God, it’s his fan club I can’t stand.”

  12. Will

    March 23, 2012 at 5:18 pm


    This so called ‘big country town’ really came of age last night. It wasn’t a new bridge that caused the change – it wasn’t a new tunnel – not a ferris wheel or a sky scraper. It was the passionate stance of a huge bunch of wonderful people (of all sexual identities, including plenty of straight people), prepared to stand up for what is right. So proud to call this town home.

  13. Tamsyn

    March 23, 2012 at 5:29 pm


    Jess – who’s forcing their beliefs on you? You aren’t going to be forced to marry someone of the same gender if this gets passed you know.

    PS. When you say marriage is a contract between a woman, a man, and God, which god? If a Christian god does that mean you believe Hindus and Sihks, Muslims, Jews, and Atheists, etc shouldn’t be able to marry?

  14. JestaCat

    March 23, 2012 at 6:10 pm


    Please sign this petition to be presented to the QLD Governement post election in an attempt to stop them from repealing the Civil Union bill.

    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mailboxforequalityqld/

    Support Equality. We all deserve it, equally.

  15. David

    March 23, 2012 at 7:41 pm


    Oh Jess, you poor dear, human rights should not be the subject of a “vote”. And if you want to be “obedient” to your chosen God then please try and understand that many people want NO part of such a paternalistic religion!

  16. A

    March 23, 2012 at 7:54 pm


    I just find it a little bit hypocritical from the protestors point of view. They call the Christians ‘haters’ yet they’re the ones throwing eggs. this Society pushes for equality, equality for who? everyone but christians it seems.

  17. Oliver

    March 23, 2012 at 9:16 pm


    As a catholic, I beleive that what peter madden is doing is silly and not right, but I also beleive marriage is between a man and a woman.

  18. odd sigve

    March 23, 2012 at 10:24 pm


    I dont know why people wanna get married in the first place and support the awfull peoplehating powergrabbing church. F*** the church and the selfrigthous people in it. they have hijacked every big event in a human beeings life and it`s sad that we keep clinging to it :/

  19. Eric

    March 23, 2012 at 11:57 pm


    If God really had a problem with homosexuality, do they really think he’d allow it to exist? Wouldn’t HE just control the vote so it goes his way?

  20. Paul M

    March 24, 2012 at 12:04 am


    What a hypercritical idiot! I am a gay male & I don’t necessarily support gay marriage but do equality. I pass no judgement on those who support it or make a choice to be married to their loved one!

    Do we stereotype Christians? I was bought up in a Catholic School environment & I’m not proud to be Catholic, all those priests who then preyed on young boys is disgusting, shame on them! If Jesus is a male and a priest is a male what is this classed as?

    Get your Act together Peter its people’s choice and 2012!

    Brissy so proud of you I just watched the YouTube videos! Well done

    Gay, Straight, Black or white, atheist or Christian who cares! We don’t push our choices down your throat Peter so don’t do it to us. What a poor example of someone wanting to be a leader give up you have no leadership qualities!

  21. Tyrant

    March 24, 2012 at 12:50 am


    If people have a problem with the word “marriage” then fine, call it a “Civil Union”. What people fail to realize is that a marriage means almost bugger all. It’s the symbolism of equality that the gays are fighting for, which I support.

    As for you Jess, the government isn’t forcing you to be gay, so no one is “enforcing their ideas on you”. If anything, you’re enforcing your religious views on us by being part of the voice holding back equality. LOGIC AND REASONING! YEAAAAAH!

  22. T

    March 24, 2012 at 12:55 am


    A says:

    I just find it a little bit hypocritical from the protestors point of view. They call the Christians ‘haters’ yet they’re the ones throwing eggs. this Society pushes for equality, equality for who? everyone but christians it seems.

    —————–

    Christians are free to practice their religion, free to be Christians however they please and don’t live in fear that being Christian will get them killed, thrown in jail, stripped of their basic rights, etc.. The LGBTQ community does not get this same treatment.

    When you try to use your personal beliefs to impinge upon the RIGHTS of others, you deserve to be shut down. Would it be ok for the LGBQT community, atheists, Jews, etc. etc. to come to your church and stop you from praying because it was against their beliefs? To nullify your relationships because they were not the way they saw fit? No. And if they tried, they would be treated equally – people would rally to the streets to try and stop them just as you see here.

    So extend that same logic and courtesy, and don’t use your belief system to promote your hatred and ruin the lives of others. What they do in their bedrooms, what they call their unions, so long as it is not physically harming anyone or impinging on anyone’s rights, it has absolutely nothing to do with you. Mind your own business, and leave them alone. They are not infringing on your rights, don’t infringe on theirs. Period.

  23. Dirk Gently

    March 24, 2012 at 4:13 am


    Looks to me as though God has been pretty clear on the issue. The bigotry that Evangelicals try and mask as theology is obviously something about which God remains unhappy. The fact that God called an army of protesters to gather in opposition to the little platoon of hate speaks volumes.

  24. Dave

    March 24, 2012 at 6:43 am


    The majority of Catholics as the polls show, support Marriage Equality! Like Keneally said, she supports Marriage Equality because she is a Catholic!

  25. Michael

    March 24, 2012 at 9:31 am


    Dear “A”, please look at the language this protest used to express itself. It used eggs against homophobia. It didn’t use electroshock “therapy”, it didn’t make christians illegal, it didn’t bash or kill them and cry “christian panic made me do it”. It used people power, eggs and a very loud voice, nothing compared with the crap same sex attracted people have put up with from christians and other gay haters for the better part of 2,000 years. If you seriously believe that religious-based hatred deserves and equal place in a 21st century secular democracy, then you’ll always have egg on your face my dear.

  26. Michael & Richard

    March 24, 2012 at 9:42 am


    Message to the Hate Truck – Don’t bother coming to the Blue Mountains of NSW, we’re waiting at our borders with the same extremely loud voice, ready to drown you out. Congrats Brisbane!

  27. Glick

    March 24, 2012 at 10:44 am


    Who are these trolls coming to this site and saying they ‘believe marriage is between a man and a woman’? jaaiisuzz christ. get out will you. not welcome. go back to the 15th century.

  28. Peter In Brisbane

    March 24, 2012 at 12:16 pm


    Two “Jesus” appeared at the protest rally aye. One must have been the son of Roman soldier Tiberius Lulius Pantera. Maybe.

  29. James

    March 24, 2012 at 12:36 pm


    A,
    I was at the protest and I did not see anyone throwing eggs – and if they did, there was no way I supported that and the organisers made it clear that we were there to be a peaceful (but loud) protest only.

    I don’t understand why you think Christians are not considered equal in our society. What rights are given to other people that aren’t given to Christians?

  30. Michael & Richard

    March 24, 2012 at 12:44 pm


    Dear “A”, sometimes the only way to effectively express your views on equality is to use the same language that those you oppose are using. This protest used eggs against homophobia. It didn’t use electroshock “therapy”, it didn’t make them illegal, it didn’t bash or kill them and cry “christian panic made me do it”. It used people power, eggs and a very loud voice, nothing compared with the crap we have put up with from christians and other gay haters for the better part of 2,000 years. If you seriously believe that religious-based hatred deserves and equal place in a 21st century secular democracy, then you’ll always have egg on your face my dear.

  31. Oliver

    March 24, 2012 at 3:56 pm


    Polls also indicate that only 2 per cent of gays actually want to get married.

  32. John Radek

    March 25, 2012 at 3:30 pm


    I may not agree with the wording of Peter Maddens truck, he could be a little more sensitive, but at least some one is standing up for the traditional family, and for what is Right (Jesus never said gay was OK) Before people start commenting on how the ‘Traditional family’ has failed in the past. Has it?. There are some terrible situations of poorly run families where dad beats the children, or mum drinks too much etc. But is that a reason to abandon it?. Do we ban cars & motor bikes because people are killed & maimed by them?. No, we endeavour to make them & our roads better. Rather than ‘waterdown’ the traditional family, as the ‘equal marriage rights’ folk are doing, we need to encourage Mum, Dad & the children, for that is the best way for society to function.

  33. Wayne

    March 25, 2012 at 4:46 pm


    There needs to be a clear seperation between the law and church (and that’s any religion, as they all have differnt takes on unions, some let you have as many partners as you like!).
    The state needs to ensure that each human has the right to marry a person of their choice, regarless of gender. Religion should play no part in politics. If MPS can’t seperate their privately held religious views from human rights then they should not stand for office.
    Good will always win over hatred, history contines to show that. Queenslanders need to be on the right side of history. As human rights for all will come. A Higher Power (if their is one) dosen’t make mistakes with his creations. Problms only occcur when fear in the free-will of some men takes over their senses as to what is right and wrong. Discrimination is never right.

  34. Dave

    March 26, 2012 at 7:31 am


    John Radek the reason why Christian carities such as Anglicare and other Christian Charities advertise for same-sex couples to take foster children, is all the real evidence, shows love makes a family. There are also hundreds of thousands of single parent families and step parents that do a great job.

  35. Michelle

    March 26, 2012 at 9:07 pm


    I was there. I saw no eggs being thrown. I saw nothing violent at all. It was the best rally I’ve ever been to.

  36. David

    March 27, 2012 at 9:41 pm


    John Radek, to answer your question, YES, the traditional family has failed in the past, on countless occasions. But nobody is saying abolish the traditional family, you lot are just using this false claim as some kind of boogey man to scare people into opposing gay marriage. You are being disingenuous and frankly, discriminitory.

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