Reverend Billy
New York, NY, USA
The Church of Stop Shopping
Reverend Billy with members of the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir
New York, NY, USA
According to the New York Times, Reverend Billy has been arrested at a Critical Mass protest in Union Square. Apparently the police don’t take kindly to having people shout the First Amendment at them through a bullhorn.
Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping are regular — and entertaining — features of pretty much any New York parade or protest. Personally, I have a soft spot for anyone who treats important topics such as freedom of speech or assembly with deadly frivolousness. And it’s hard not to admire someone who has his own page in the three-ring binder issued to Starbucks managers (“What to do if Reverend Billy appears in your store”
).
“Reverend Billy has a First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment,”
says the lawyer who will be representing him. So say we all.