Heretical imagery used in protest

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A group called the Satanic Temple temporarily placed a bronze statue of a goat-headed, winged creature called Baphomet at the Arkansas State Capitol during a rally to call for the removal of a Ten Commandments monument already mounted on Capitol grounds.

About 150 Satanists, atheists and Christians attended the First Amendment rally Thursday. The Satanic Temple says the Ten Commandments monument violates constitutional freedom of religion rights and that the installation of their 7½-foot-tall statue showing the 14th century idol seated and accompanied by smiling children would demonstrate religious tolerance.

“If you’re going to have one religious monument up then it should be open to others, and if you don’t agree with that then let’s just not have any at all,” said Satanic Arkansas co-founder Ivy Forrester, a rally organizer.

The statue of Baphomet can’t be installed under a 2017 state law that requires legislative sponsorship for consideration of any monument. The Satanist group later removed the statue.

The Ten Commandments monument at the Arkansas Capitol was sponsored by Republican Sen. Jason Rapert and installed in 2017. Less than 24 hours after its installation, a man drove his car into the monument, smashing it. The same man also destroyed a Ten Commandments monument outside Oklahoma’s state Capitol.

The Satanic Temple ended its campaign to install Baphomet there, after Oklahoma’s Supreme Court ruled the Ten Commandments monument was unconstitutional and it was taken down.

Rapert said he respects the protesters’ First Amendment rights but also called them “extremists.”