Peaceful demonstration brings out students – preacher not present
Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
Hundreds of students came to the Free Speech Area, many holding signs, in support of tolerance and peace.
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By Rebecca Martin
The Collegian
A demonstration taking place in the Free Speech Area brought hundreds of students with a message of love, equality and peace.
The idea of the event came from Fresno State group P.O.W.E.R., the People Organized for Women’s Empowerment, Breanne Slimick, an organizer of the event, said. It was inspired by Pastor Anthony Munoz, and what organizers consider his ‘hate speech.'
“We recognized his presence the last few years, and especially this last semester,” Slimick said. “We wanted the student body to know that we don’t agree, and that other students who don’t agree aren’t alone.”
The demonstration consisted of students and faculty encouraging students to be open-minded. Students held signs about peace and love. One sign quoted the Biblical verse of 1 Corinthians 7:15 saying: “God has called us to live in peace.”
The demonstration brought people from various places to the Free Speech Area, not only Fresno State students.
Thalia Arenas, a Madera High School student, came with a group of friends. She heard about the demonstration from the advisor of the Gay-Straight Alliance club at her school, of which she is a member.
“I just heard that he’s discriminating, he’s against gay marriage and we’re here to protest his discrimination,” Arenas said.
Slimick said the entire Women’s Studies faculty came.
“I think we were most surprised by the amount of faculty that came,” Slimick said.
Missing from the demonstration was Munoz. Organizers were not surprised Munoz didn’t come to preach on the day of the demonstration, but Slimick said she would have liked him to.
“We were hoping he would show up, just to show him we had support,” She said.
Munoz has been concerned since the beginning of the semester about people getting out of hand while he is preaching in the Free Speech Area. This is why he did not come to the Monday demonstration.
Munoz said he does not understand why students are protesting against him.
“The whole protest has me bewildered because their message was ‘Stop the Hate’,” Munoz said. “ And that’s why I preach, to stop the hate. I try to preach against lying, dishonesty, adultery, all these things. I don’t think that’s hate speech.”
Munoz said the reason he comes to campus is to reach students and more people than individual ministering does.
“It’s the quickest way to reach the most people,” Munoz said. “Preaching reaches more people just like lecturing and teaching.”
Don Romsa, Minister at Lutheran Campus Ministry, does not agree this is the best way to reach students.
“I see God in a very different sort of way,” Romsa said. “I see him as a God that welcomes everyone.”
The effect Munoz has, Romsa said, is in some ways counterproductive.
“Most of what happens is he pushes students away,” Romsa said. “He puts tension to people who are searching.”
Romsa said ministering should be on a more individual level. This way a stronger relationship between the minister and the individual can develop.
Another message present at the demonstration was organizers and speakers encouraging students to speak out if they do not agree with Munoz’ messages.
Romsa, who did not attend the event, said he is glad students are taking a stand with their opinions.
“I’m really pleased that people are saying ‘this is not right,’” Romsa said.
Despite the demonstration, Munoz said he plans to come back to campus when he feels it is safe for him to do so.
“I’ll be back. I don’t know when, but every individual has the right to first amendment rights,” Munoz said.
During the demonstration, speakers said they will continue to protest Munoz.
“He needs to see the counter voices every single day,” Michelle Colvin, an organizer of the event, said during the demonstration.
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