Supporters outnumber protesters at mosque

MURFREESBORO — By the time anti-Muslim protesters were supposed to show up outside of the mosque on Veals Road off Bradyville Pike, the rain had stopped and the sun had come out. It was cool, and gusts of wind blew fallen leaves across the parking lot — the nearly empty parking lot.

The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro had canceled services due to local schools systems' fall break. The only vehicles in the parking lot belonged to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and a few protesters, but they were not the protesters expected.

An organization calling itself the Global Rally for Humanity advertised in social media for anti-Muslim rallies around the country. Instead, the protesters who showed up in Murfreesboro at the appointed 11 a.m. event time were the anti-anti-Muslim protesters.

“I know a lot of people who go here, and they’re great people,” said John Sneed as he stood outside of the ICM. “I’ve done three tours in Iraq and I know when one’s pointing a gun at me and when he isn’t.”

At one point, a few pick-up trucks bearing Confederate flags and a few cars — many with out-of-county tags — gathered at the entrance to the parking lot. Sheriff’s deputies met the group, and those cars soon dispersed.

“It’s private property,” one deputy said, shrugging. “They’re not supposed to be here.”

Unlike the original protest, which had been organized through Facebook and other social media, the counter-protesters didn’t organize at all. Most of them met for the first time as they got out of their cars.

“I’m just so sick and tired of people thinking that people from Murfreesboro are all ignorant, intolerant in-breds,” said Victoria Atmer. “This country was founded because of religious intolerance, and we have no need for religious intolerance here.”

On the Global Rally for Humanity: Tennessee Facebook page, someone posting as the anonymous organizer of the event seemed to realize the protest would fizzle out in Murfreesboro and posted around 11:30 a.m. Saturday that even he or she did not plan to attend: "So not knowing if anyone will be there in support I'm not making the 1 hr 30 min drive, but if some do show up be safe an thank for standing up!"

No one did.

You can reach Mary Reeves at 615-278-5109. You can follow her on Twitter @MaryReevesDNJ.