A Christian preacher associated with the group "Warriors for Christ" was arrested in Watertown, Wisconsin, for protesting a Pride event.
At a recent city council meeting, Marcus Schroeder shared his perspective on the incident. He contended that protecting children's innocence should be a top priority and argued that drag queen events, particularly those with sexual dancing, should not be deemed appropriate for children.
The arrest occurred during the "Pride in the Park" event, where drag queens were reading books in lingerie and performing dance routines.
Schroeder was using a microphone to evangelize scripture passages when officers surrounded him, seized his equipment, and cited a violation of a sound ordinance about noise amplification as the reason for the arrest.
Schroeder expressed his disbelief, asserting that he was merely reading from the Bible on the sidewalk when the arrest occurred. He emphasized that he was arrested without any warning or explanation about his amplification volume.
Despite the arrest, Schroeder firmly stood by his actions, believing that the protection of children is a societal responsibility, he expressed his willingness to engage in conversations with the other side and has had discussions with LGBTQ activists in the past. His faith principle, which emphasizes that everyone is created in the image of God, guides him away from hateful ideologies and towards advocating for the welfare of children.
Another member of the evangelical ministry, Jason Storms, claimed that three young people from their group were also arrested for praying and talking to event attendees based on orders from city leaders.
Storms additionally alleged that the performers' inappropriate dancing was witnessed by young children who were encouraged to give them dollar bills.
Despite the arrest and potential consequences, Schroeder did not express any regrets about his actions. He viewed the experience as an honor to stand alongside those who have been arrested in the past for spreading the message of Christ and his kingdom. Schroeder perceived that the incident has had an opposite effect on others, as more individuals are becoming aware of the situation and are feeling called to take action.
