Satanist leader's attempt to hold Black Mass in Kansas Statehouse sparks chaos and 4 arrests

TOPEKA, Kan. -- A small group of self-identified satanists, led by Kansas City-area Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart, were arrested following a scuffle in the Kansas Statehouse on Friday. The incident occurred as Stewart attempted to launch a Black Mass in the rotunda, coinciding with a rally advocating for the separation of church and state. The Satanic Grotto's protest emerged in light of perceived favoritism towards Christian groups allowed to hold events inside the building, prompting Governor Laura Kelly to ban protests inside for the day.

The rally attracted hundreds of Christian counterprotesters, who opposed the satanic imagery presented by the Grotto while expressing their beliefs through song and appeals for conversion. The tension escalated as a young man attempted to snatch Stewart's script during the planned ceremony, leading to a physical altercation in which Stewart was subsequently arrested. His arrest followed the issuance of a temporary ban on protests by Governor Kelly after Roman Catholic leaders voiced concerns about the event, deeming it as "anti-Catholic bigotry."

Satanic Grotto members embrace a range of beliefs, with some identifying as atheists and others using the group to address past traumas associated with religious institutions. Supporters like Amy Dorsey emphasized their right to free speech and religious freedom as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Stewart had hoped to conduct the ceremony while the state legislature was in session, unaware that lawmakers had already adjourned for spring break.

During the scuffle, multiple arrests were made, including Stewart and two others for unlawful assembly. Video footage captured Stewart shouting "Hail, Satan!" as law enforcement took him into custody. His wife defended his actions as an exercise of First Amendment rights, highlighting the disparity in treatment between her group and Christian gatherings frequently permitted in the Statehouse.

Attempts to disrupt Stewart's ceremony came from several individuals, including Marcus Schroeder, who was also arrested for disorderly conduct. Witnesses reported that a woman, Karla Delgado, attempted to intervene with her children present, expressing frustration over Stewart's perceived violation of the governor's order. As tensions flared amidst the protest and counterprotest, the situation underscored the ongoing debate over religious expression and governmental restrictions within public spaces.