100 Slavonic Orthodox Activists Protest 'The Da Vinci Code' At Pushkin Square In Central Moscow, The Russian Federation

"Around 100 protesters representing a Russian Orthodox movement burned a poster advertising the The Da Vinci Code at Pushkin Square in central Moscow, on the day of the controversial film’s premier, RIA Novosti news agency reports. Protesters at the meeting, organized by the Union of Orthodox Citizens, held icons, crosses and banners, one of which read: “The Da Vinci Code: you buy a ticket — you sell Jesus.”

Leonid Simonovich-Nikshych, the chairman of an Orthodox organization represented at the protest, said: “Every heresy against the Church will burn in this way.” He urged for “blasphemous acts against Christians” to be stopped.

Moscow police did not stop the protest. Officers had been briefed by their supervisors not to intervene in these “religious things, unless there’s an open physical fight”, Discovery Institute website reports.

On Tuesday the Moscow Patriarchy condemned the release in Russia of the film adaptation of Dan Brown’s controversial bestseller, The Da Vinci Code. Many Russian Muslims are also outraged by the film, because Jesus is esteemed as a prophet in the Koran. They view The Da Vinci Code’s claim that Jesus slept with Mary Magdalene as an attack on their religion as well as Christianity." ...

MosNews.com "Da Vinci Code Poster Burnt in Moscow by Orthodox Activists" May 23, 2006

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Russian Orthodox activists holding icons in Moscow, Russia on May 23, 2006, the day "The Da Vinci Code" film opened in Moscow. Russian Muslims were also reported to be offended by the artwork.

Photo credit: Evgeny Razdobarin, Lenta.ru via MosNews.com. With thanks.

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