Published 7 February 2024 at 13.01
Foreign. A Christian US Navy veteran faces hate crime charges after destroying satanic statue at Iowa's state capitol. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, Fox News reports.
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The statue of the horned demon Baphomet was erected inside the government building by the Satanic Temple of Iowa as a religious display during Christmas, which is allowed under state law.
Michael Cassidy says he acted on the spur of the moment when he traveled to Des Moines, vandalized the Satanist statue and chopped off its head in December. He describes his actions as “Christian civil disobedience”.
Cassidy was initially investigated for public order offenses but is now charged with hate crimes – which means he faces up to five years in prison. Polk County prosecutors allege the veteran destroyed the statue for religious reasons. His attorney, R. David Younts, points out that Cassidy's actions were non-violent and rooted in his deep Christian faith.
Now Michael Cassidy is getting support from conservative figures like Elon Musk.
“What has happened to the United States?” asks Musk, referring to a post on X that points out that the left-wing extremists who smashed statues of historic Americans during the BLM riots escaped punishment.
What has become of America? https://t.co/mj0J5zUJA2
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2024