Man Says He Was Denied Right To Protest Black Mass

One man who was arrested, 53-year-old David Grisham, came with a group from Amarillo, Texas. And it was what he was saying and how he reacted to police that landed him in jail.

Monday, September 22nd 2014, 7:16 pm

By: News 9


Two Black Mass protesters were arrested at the Civic Center on Sunday.

They were two of the more than 100 people who gathered outside to protest a satanic black mass going on inside. One of those arrested says he was denied his right to free speech.

People from all over Oklahoma and even across state lines came here last night to pray and protest the satanic black mass. One man who was arrested, 53-year-old David Grisham, came with a group from Amarillo, Texas. And it was what he was saying and how he reacted to police that landed him in jail.

Many of those who attended Sunday's protest did so through prayer and song according to their faith. Most of those attending stayed behind the barricade and obeyed police requests for them to leave those attending the black mass alone.

“Save them. He's a liar. Shame on you for sneaking in the back door,” said Grisham.

A small group from Texas gathered on the northeast corner of the civic center to make their presence known to those trying to enter through a side entrance. They began taunting them and yelling at them until police intervened to try to keep the peace. Grisham was leading the charge on the bull horn.

“We were going to try to make a stand for righteousness and at the same time try to witness to the Satanists and try to preach to them. That's what our goal was, to actually speak to them one-on-one face-to-face and try to talk to them about Jesus Christ,” Grisham told News 9 over the phone on Monday.

9/21/2014 Related Story: Hundreds Turnout To Protest Black Mass, Held At OKC Civic Center

“How are you going to face God on the day of judgment if you can't even face a bunch of Christians and people who pray? Oh they're cowards. They're cowards,” Grisham shouted outside of the civic center.

Video of the scene was captured by one of the protesters. Shortly after, police confronted Grisham, and when he refused to comply, he was arrested, but says what the officer said next floored him.

“This is a direct quote. He said ‘No, you're right to free speech stops when I tell you to shut up.' And that is a direct quote from him while he was walking me over to the detention center. And he told me he thought I was above the law. And I said ‘No, you're trying to put yourself above the constitution.'”

Grisham says he was not trying to incite any violence.

“Not wanting any violence is the law. Not wanting any contact is suppression of free speech.”

Grisham bonded out of jail early Monday morning. He faces two city charges of disorderly conduct and failing to obey a police officer.

Joan Andrews, 66, was also arrested. Police say she was kneeling and praying and refusing to leave the steps of the Civic Center after she was asked to leave.

Police say someone also called in a bomb threat from a pay phone in Del City and claimed it would go off at the Civic Center Sunday night. No bomb was found.

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