Satanic Leader Arrested After Violent Clash During 'Black Mass' at Kansas Capitol

Michael Stewart, leader of the Satanic Grotto, was detained following a physical altercation while attempting to defy a state ban on indoor protests.

Michael Stewart, president of the Satanic Grotto, was arrested on charges of unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct after punching a counter-protester during an attempted 'Black Mass' inside the Kansas State Capitol.
The event, intended to advocate for the separation of church and state, was moved outdoors by state authorities, but Stewart entered the building and began the ritual in defiance of a temporary ban on protests inside the Capitol.
The altercation occurred when a counter-protester attempted to grab an item from Stewart’s hand, leading to a physical confrontation and Stewart’s arrest by law enforcement.
Hundreds of Christian counter-protesters gathered outside the Capitol in opposition to the Satanic Grotto’s event, which they condemned as anti-Catholic bigotry.
Stewart was briefly jailed and released on a $1,000 bond, with the Satanic Grotto indicating plans to continue advocating for their cause in the future.