Counter-Protestor Holds Crucifix and Tears Bible Pages During 25th Anniversary 9/11 Gathering

A counter-protester tore pages from a Bible and brandished a crucifix outside New York City Hall on Friday, the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, in an incident captured on video and shared widely as the city held official commemorations.

The episode unfolded during a counter-demonstration to an anti-Muslim rally at the same location, drawing sharply divided reactions online and underscoring the charged atmosphere that surrounded this year's memorial events.

Tensions had been building for weeks over whether Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim, should attend the memorial.

A petition opposing his participation gathered more than 100,000 signatures, while far-right activist Jake Lang, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in January 2025 over federal charges stemming from his participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, organised an anti-Muslim 'Crusader March' that gathered near City Hall before police blocked it from reaching the World Trade Center site.

Bible Tearing at 9/11 Counter-Protest Draws Online Fury

Video clips circulating on social media showed a person dressed in women's lingerie, wearing devil horns and holding a crucifix, opening a Bible, remarking that it felt heavy, then ripping out pages and throwing them to the ground.

Police stood nearby but did not intervene, according to the footage and reports based on it.

The individual then read aloud from Micah 5:10: 'In that day,' declares the LORD, 'I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.'

Reports identified the individual as performance artist Qween Amor, although the identification could not be independently verified and was not confirmed by authorities.

The footage drew sharply divided reactions online. Some commenters condemned the act as a desecration on a day of mourning, while others dismissed it as an attention-seeking stunt.

9/11 Anniversary Protest Overshadowed by Clashes and Bible Incident

The counter-protest formed in response to Lang's anti-Muslim demonstration, which drew about 100 participants and 40 counter-protesters at City Hall around 11:15am.

At least one person was arrested as punches flew between rival groups, the newspaper reported, naming Emmanuel Vasquez Rodriguez among those taken into custody.

Lang's marchers carried signs reading 'Deport All Muslims' and blamed Islam for the 2001 attacks, the Post reported.

The counter-protest group included antiracist activists and people wearing swastika armbands, whom the newspaper described as neo-Nazis, as well as a person in an Elmo costume draped in a Palestinian flag who became involved in a confrontation.

Police surrounded Lang as he moved through the area and blocked the group from passing beyond Church and Cortlandt Streets, near the World Trade Center site.

The spectacle stood in stark contrast to the official ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial, where family members read victims' names and James Massaro, son of a victim, pleaded for an end to using the day to 'hate on Muslims.'

The identity of the person seen tearing pages from the Bible could not be independently verified. LifeSiteNews identified the individual as performance artist Qween Amor, but that identification was not confirmed by authorities or independently corroborated.

The incident itself is supported by video footage and reports from multiple outlets. Readers should therefore distinguish between the documented protest and the unverified identification of the individual involved.