Counter-protesters appeared to shove and spray paint Catholic students while they demonstrated against so-called drag queen story hours and the sexualization of children on Monday.
Students with TFP Student Action, a Catholic activist group, stood outside the Art Institute of Chicago holding signs with messages such as “Honk! Stop Promoting LGBT Lifestyle to Kids.” The demonstration received a mixed reaction from bystanders, according to video of the protest that TFP Student Action put out on Thursday.
“I strongly, strongly support what you guys are standing for,” said one woman, who identified herself as a math teacher. “People have different opinions, they don’t even want to talk about it. They just call you names.”
Another man walking by with a dog called one of the students a “hateful bigot.” “You’re living in a dream world,” the man said.
Another woman approached the group to tell them to not “spread hate” and appeared to grab the camera of one of the protesters who was filming. “Spread the hate, it’s lovely,” she said later while walking away. “I’m very glad I’m being taped, spread the hate.”
The protest continued with the students saying slogans such as “biology is not bigotry” and “innocence is a God-given right.” At one point, a counter-protester arrived with a bullhorn: “Drag queen story time is f***ing harmless. Grow the f*** up.”
Another counter-protester, a woman with red hair, disrupted some of the students praying the Rosary. “LGBT rights are human rights,” she yelled. “You guys are bigots.”
Later in the day, the red-haired woman returned to the protest with a can of spray paint. She allegedly sprayed the students’ signs as they attempted to drive her off. During the scrum, she allegedly sprayed students and a teacher. Several of the protesters had paint on their clothes after the incident.
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The woman left before police officers arrived. One of the protesters can be heard in the video saying that they wanted to press assault charges against the woman.
Rex Teodosio, the leader of the TFP group, said he was hit in the face with the spray paint and his eyes “burned for about six hours,” according to a press release.
“Getting hit in the face with spray paint is not pleasant. My eyes are stinging, inflamed and bloodshot,” Teodosio said. “The attacker yelled ‘bigot’ and ‘hater’ as she destroyed our signs and ruined our clothes with paint — she played the victim as she committed the crime. But the sacrifice is all worth it because I know I’m building a culture that protects the innocence of children and shields them from grooming and corruption.”