A Minnesota city that drew backlash after pulling a cross from a veterans memorial park has agreed to bring it back as early as Tuesday — inside a section of the park that supporters have called a “free speech zone.”
(FOX)- The Freedom From Religion Foundation demanded the city of Belle Plaine remove the cross last month, claiming it violated the separation of church and state.
After workers took it down, many supporters of vets responded by setting up their own crosses, and the Second Brigade Motorcycle Club patrolled the park to watch out for vandalism.
Amid the controversy in that city, the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian nonprofit, proposed setting up a “limited public forum” inside the park, where the original cross could stand, Fox 9 reported. The name “free speech zone” has stuck, even though the park is public.
The city council narrowly approved the proposal, by a vote of 3-2. Under the plan, city leaders would set up a method of considering each proposed display, giving priority to veterans groups, the StarTribune reported.