RESIST 450 ACTION CAMP September 5-9, 2015 in St. Augustine, Florida

RESIST 450 ACTION CAMP

SEPTEMBER 5-9, 2015

Join coalitions and groups from across the state of Florida by resisting, boycotting and protesting the city of St. Augustine 450th Anniversary Celebration, which shamefully celebrates and honors the doctrine of discovery and Spain’s crimes against humanity. Do not accept the covering up of 450 years of acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The city celebration events culminate on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 with a re-enactment of the landing of Pedro Menendez de Aviles on the shores of St. Augustine.  In 2013, the Viva Florida 500 Celebration, which honored Juan Ponce de Leon, was met with resistance, and we hope to continue this opposition to the glorification of colonial criminals.

See more at the website: http://www.resist450.org

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/resist450org

PRESS RELEASE below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

August 26, 2015

Contact:

Shawn Mulford 

(904)377-­1856 

Shannon Larsen

(904) 654-0200

Email: ancientrees@hotmail.com 

City of St. Augustine’s 450th Commemoration – Violates The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution  

St. Augustine, FL (August 26, 2015) – The City of St Augustine’s 450th Commemoration activities violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment, according to a national nonpartisan organization based in Washington, DC. This nonprofit organization, dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation, sent a letter to St. Augustine City Attorney, Isabelle Lopez, asking for the City to “please immediately rescind all City sponsorship of these activities and recoup any taxpayer funds spent on them.”

The events from the 450th Commemoration that raised the red flag are the “Procession to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine” and the “Commemorative Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine,” which is co-organized by the City and the Catholic Church, and sponsored financially by the City. Additionally, the “Menendez Landing Reenactment” which would lead an objective observer to conclude that this event is sponsored by the City and open to the public, is actually being defined as a private event and is being held on the Church’s private property, according to the City Police. The Church, as reported by City Police, will determine who gets to attend and how they will be allowed to participate.

Article 1 section 3 of the Florida Constitution states, “No revenue of the state or any political subdivision or agency thereof shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination.” The Florida Constitution’s legal language is more prohibitive than the U.S. Constitution in many respects. The City of St. Augustine is requested to respond to the letter by close-of-business on Thursday, August 27, 2015.

How much taxpayers have contributed to these religious events over the years, remains undetermined. Additionally, how the City will “recoup” taxpayer funds that have been spent violating both the U.S. Constitution and Florida State Constitution remains unclear.

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