Atheists to hold Reason Rally in June, proselytizing Christians warned to keep their distance or face arrest

A huge number of atheists and freethinkers is expected to gather in Washington, D.C. in June for the Reason Rally 2016. With this, the police has reportedly issued a warning to proselytizing Christians to refrain from disrupting the event; otherwise, they could be arrested.

Author Ray Comfort planned to have a D.C. Outreach on the same day as the rally but, as he said in a report on Christian News Wire, "To the D.C. police, that constituted a protest and therefore we needed a permit to gather. We would have to stay at the other end of the National Mall, and they said that if we persisted to approach atheists to speak with them we would be arrested."

Around 1,000 Christians have reportedly pledged to join Comfort at the rally to give non-believers Subway sandwich gift cards totalling to $25,000, "as a gesture of Christian love." He also planned to give away 5,000 copies of his new book. The police won't have it, though.

"In what is so often a cruel world, we tried to show a little kindness and it didn't work," he said. "So it now looks like we will be eating Subway sandwiches for the next 40 years."

The remark was apparently made in jest as Comfort pledged instead to give the gift cards to homeless people. Friendly Atheist editor Hemant Mehta called it "a classy move" although he added that it's still a way of proselytizing.

The outreach has been cancelled but Comfort and his TV crew of 17 can film the event for his program, since going there as individuals does not require a permit.

"The Reason Rally is free and open to the public," he said, "so if any other groups of individuals show up on their own initiative they won't need a permit either or be arrested if they approach atheists."

He did express that authorities deem Christians and atheists as enemies so they want to keep them separated to maintain peace. While he understands this, he also said that he is frustrated "because I have a very good relationship with atheists."

Speakers and celebrities who will grace the Reason Rally 2016 event are Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye and NASA's Cassini Project leader Carolyn Porco, along with LGBT advocate Margaret Cho, the members of Wu-Tang Clan, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Saturday Night Live alumna Julia Sweeney, among many others. Christian News Wire says that actor Johnny Depp and magician Penn Jillette will also be there. It will take place on June 4 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.