Christian Students Sue To Proselytize At Chicago’s Bean

The Daily Beast reports:

Four students at Wheaton College filed a federal free-speech lawsuit against the City of Chicago this week, claiming that it violated the Constitution when it prohibited a group of evangelists from speaking and passing out fliers near “The Bean” statue at the popular Millennium Park.

The three sophomores and one junior who filed suit—Matt Swart, Jeremy Chong, Gabriel Emerson, and Caeden Hood—are all members of the Chicago Evangelism Team at the 2,500-student, Christian liberal arts school. The team is sponsored by the college’s Office of Christian Outreach.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

“We are there to share the greatest news of all time, which is that sinful people can be saved, and they can be reconciled to God by faith in Jesus who died on the cross to save all sinners,” Jeremy Chong, a sophomore, said.

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events officially updated rules for the park in April that include prohibiting “the making of speeches and passing out of written communications” in certain areas. The park, located off the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago, was divided up into 11 “rooms” or sections.

Passing out fliers or giving public lectures is prohibited in 10 out of the 11 rooms — including the area where the massive tourist attraction is located. It is only authorized in the Wrigley Square section of the park.

“Why must those gays always be shoving it down our throats?” shouted the people who literally scream at strangers on the streets, in parks, on the subway, and on hundreds of TV and radio stations.