The city council of the city of Mullins, under the command of Democratic mayor Miko Pickett, ordered the removal of a nativity scene that had been placed in a Christmas decoration made in a public parking lot in the city, a decision that provoked a strong reaction from residents and the community committee responsible for the Christmas decorations in the place.
According to the Fox Newsthe Christmas decorations installed in the public parking lot were organized by the Mullins Beautification Committee, a city volunteer group. According to the entity, all decorations were paid for with its own resources, without the use of public funds. The set installed at the site included lights, garlands, decorative dolls and a small nativity scene.
According to the leader of the volunteer group, Kimberly Byrd, Democratic Mayor Pickett sent a message asking for the nativity scene to be removed from the decoration, citing “concern” about residents who have other beliefs and the “principle of separation between Church and State”. According to Byrd, the request was surprising. Despite the mayor’s demand, the volunteer group decided to maintain the installation of the nativity scene.
“It makes us feel bad,” Byrd told a local broadcaster. “It makes us upset, because there was no intention to cause harm, and I don’t think we have to apologize for setting up a nativity scene, because without the nativity scene there is no Christmas,” he said. “I stand for Jesus, and the Bible says if you deny me, I will deny you when I get to heaven, and I will not take down the nativity scene,” Byrd stated. “If they want to remove it, they can remove it, but if they do that, we will remove all the other decorations, because that is the conviction I have on the matter”, he added.
In a post made on Facebook in November, Pickett stated that the presence of the nativity scene in a public parking lot could “violate constitutional norms on the use of religious symbols by public authorities”.
According to Byrd, members of the municipal council – equivalent to the City Council in Brazil – expressed support for the nativity scene to remain in the public parking lot until the end of the Christmas period.
