Satanic Worship symbol vandalized again at Boca park

BOCA RATON (CBS12) — It’s happened again. In the wee hours of the morning, someone once again vandalized a holiday religious display symbolizing devil worship at a Boca Raton park.

Since it went on display at Sanborn Square in early December this pentagram has attracted attention. It’s also attracted vandals, who simply cannot leave it alone.

Some people can’t figure out what the devil this thing is.

Others know exactly what it is. A pentagram, a symbol of devil worship or Satanism.

“I think it’s obvious people aren’t happy about it,” said Kevin Murray, a passerby from Boca Raton.

The guy who put it there, a Boca Raton school teacher, says it was vandalized at 2 Monday morning—the 8th time vandals have struck. It has been spray painted, knocked over and yanked out of the ground over and over in the past month.

“I think it (pentagram) definitely disrupts some of the peace,” said David Hemo, a visitor from Boynton Beach who stopped to look at the display.

Some say no matter what you think of a pentagram in a holiday display, that doesn’t give anyone to right to destroy it.

“I think that it should be left alone like any other symbol of faith,” said Isabela Karibjanian, a college student who stopped at the park to look at the display.

“It is peoples’ right to have an expression of their beliefs, just the same as like the menorah or the nativity,” said Miranda Vogt, also a college student who stopped by to view the display.

The pentagram is just feet from a nativity scene, a menorah, and a Christmas tree.

Local pastors have erected a sign calling the pentagram “shameful” and rejecting everything it stands for.

“If the nativity set is okay then the pentagram should be okay, too,” said Kevin Murray, a Boca Raton resident.

“It’s not part of the holidays and it’s very offensive. We have the manger over there, we have the menorah over here. Why do we need Satan?” said Marcia, a woman from Winnipeg, Canada who declined to give her last name.

Preston Smith, a middle school teacher who put up the pentagram, says a pentagram promotes love and equality and critical thinking. He says he’ll take it down when his permit expires Friday January 6.

He said he has no regrets and will probably display it here again next December.