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A showdown between Satanists, Christian counter-protesters, and police turned violent in Kansas on Friday when a Satanic leader tried to perform a Satanic ritual inside the Statehouse in violation of an order by the governor.
The leader of the Satanic Grotto group and three other people were arrested in the incident.
Michael Stewart, founder of that Satanic group, had vowed to hold a demonic ritual as a form of “therapeutic blasphemy” inside the Capitol, even though Gov. Laura Kelly had declared that the Black Mass would not be allowed indoors. She had temporarily banned all protests inside the rotunda.
Stewart announced beforehand they would be showing up anyway, and he would try to enter to Statehouse to do his deed. The group’s Facebook page had declared, “Our fire and brimstone team is fierce and viscous {sic}. We will make that crowd uncomfortable and we will drowned {sic} out their prayers. As a bonus we will hand out ‘mini black mass’ kits that {sic} be used anywhere any time! instructions included. They can stop one black mass but they cant {sic} stop us all.”
About 30 members of the Kansas City-area Satanic group did show up, and they began by rallying outside the Statehouse to protest what they see as alleged state favoritism toward Christians. Hundreds of Christians showed up for a counter-protest after learning that the Satanic Grotto’s rally and indoor ritual would include attempts to denounce Jesus Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah Hicks of the Cure Church in Kansas City, Kansas, attended the counter-protest to do spiritual warfare. He warned, “The Bible says Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, so when we dedicate a state to Satan, we’re dedicating it to death.”
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Stewart’s arrest came after he went inside to start his ritual. A video of the violent incident that was released on social media indicates the Satanist threw a punch at a man who was trying to grab his Satanic script. As Stewart began loudly reading his Satanic script, someone tried to grab it from him. He then lunged to punch the counterprotester in the face. A 4-year-old girl, who was there with her mother, was reportedly knocked to the ground during the attack.
Several Kansas Highway Patrol troopers then tackled Stewart to the ground. He and another supporter shouted “Hait Satan!” as he was dragged away by law enforcement officers. Stewart’s wife, Maenad Bee, claimed, “He’s only exercising his First Amendment rights.”
Gov. Kelly had issued an order to block all protests inside the Statehouse after the state’s Catholic bishops called the Satanic Black Mass “a despicable act of anti-Catholic bigotry” that mocks the Catholic Mass. Both chambers of the state legislature also approved resolutions condemning it.
Police say two more alleged members of the Satanic group, Jocelyn Frazee, 32, and Sean Anderson, 50, were arrested for unlawful assembly during Friday’s incident.
Reports indicate the young man who tried to snatch away the Black Mass script from Stewart was also arrested. Marcus Schroeder, 21, was held on suspicion of disorderly conduct. A friend of Schroeder’s said he “didn’t throw any punches.”
Attempts by media outlets to reach Satanic Grotto went unanswered. But Stewart did declare as he was leaving the Statehouse after the incident, “It was just the last day of the legislature, and I wanted uh, them to end the session thinking about this. And to maybe wonder what we’re going to do opening day next year.”
Stewart said the group might come back next year and perform another anti-Christian ritual. “Maybe un-baptisms, right here in the Capitol,” he said. “That might be fun.”
Meanwhile, Pastor Hicks tried to explain his motivation for being there at the counter-protest and what it was like to endure hateful words that were thrown his way by the Satanic protesters.
“Jesus loves us all, and he loves those people too there. And a lot of times, Christianity is represented as a religion of hate. But we want to be hated for our love,” he said. “And we love those people out there. That’s the truth. And we just hope that they find a real Jesus. And I mean, it’s 2025, and when you tell a black guy, ‘F-you slave,’ regardless of if you’re a Satanist or you’re some random person, that’s racist. But it’s cool. We’re here for love. I’m here to pray over the Capitol and dedicate the state of Kansas to Jesus, and not to Satan.”
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