Around 200 show up at Mansfield square protests

A few weeks ago, local event organizers were surprised by the Mansfield City Council’s decision to cancel all June reservations of the downtown square.
Theresa Nicolosi had already filed paperwork to hold her second annual Pride Event. Meanwhile, Kevin Dodd recently clarified to the Wright County Journal that another community group reserved the square in advance to hold several different events in June that included a follow-up concert from the recent talent show, a community-wide picnic and a fun day with bounce houses and more.
During the May City Council meeting, several members of the community spoke up against the square being a host to a second annual Pride Event.  Then after discussion on a possible lost square reservation, the City Council canceled all possible events on the square in June at the recommendation of their attorney.
Nicolosi then turned her previously planned June 6 Pride Event into a protest on the square to bring public attention to the rights of locals living in the LGBTQIA+ community. Around 40% of the approximate 200 people on the square were there to support the effort.
“Our community gathered today to affirm a simple principle: public spaces belong to all members of the public,” Nicolosi said. “As LGBTQIA+ people and our allies, we have the same right to assemble, celebrate, and be visible in our town square as any other group, regardless of whether we are a majority or a minority.  We respect every individual’s right to their religious beliefs and to express those beliefs peacefully. At the same time, religious disagreement cannot be used to exclude others from public life or deny equal access to shared community spaces. The rights of one group do not diminish the rights of another.”
She went on to say the event was about belonging, a focus on equal treatment and the freedom to exist openly in the community.
Many of the Pride Event supporters held up signs and joined together in cheers that included, “Love, not hate; makes America great.”
Another was “Hey, hey, ho, ho, homophobia has got to go.”
Meanwhile, around 120 others or 60% of the square were there to represent the Christian community. Some also displayed their own posters. There were several guest speakers for Mansfield’s Community Values Alliance who preached from the Bible. Around 40 minutes of the scheduled two hour counter protest featured a musical worship time of singing hymns.
“We’re here because we love you,” said Jonathan Betancourt in his remarks. “We are here to protest in the name of love.” He added that he wanted to apologize to the other protesters because he said the City Council “messed this up.”
“The main message we want to give is that we were here today to stand for what has been the historic values of Mansfield and to defend the actual historic Christian faith on the issues of family and sexuality because the most loving thing to do in loving our neighbor as ourself is to proclaim truth...”
There were a few moments during the counter protests where supporters from both sides were standing face-to-face while simultaneously there were loud chants, preaching from the Bible, loud megaphone noise and some people who were just being silent.