City Councilwoman Sally Robinson said aggressive street preachers are harassing visitors outside the Tennessee Aquarium, but City Attorney Randy Nelson said there may be little the city can do about it.
Ms. Robinson said, "These people are creating a public nuisance, verbally assaulting and insulting our visitors and horrifying and grossing out children, and how they can get away with it is beyond me."
Bruce Rollins, one of the city's carriage operators, said street preachers have been outside the Aquarium for the past several Saturdays.
He said they were "screaming at people that they were going to burn in hell and calling people prostitutes, whores and homosexuals."
Mr. Rollins said they were displaying color 4'x4' pictures showing a bloody aborted baby.
He said several of those who were confronted by the group went up to them, and he said several fights almost broke out. He said a number of calls were made to police.
Mr. Rollins said, "They are making it very uncomfortable for a lot of people."
Ms. Robinson suggested that the city allocate time at Miller Park on Saturday afternoons for street preachers and others to make statements.
But attorney Nelson said they "want to be where the people are to get their message out. Nobody's at Miller Park on a Saturday afternoon."
Attorney Nelson said Lincoln, Neb., did set up a special sector for those making public statements. But he said it was near the center of a public area where crowds regularly congregated.
He said the city needed to proceed carefully due to First Amendment rights. He said the city might get sued, and, if it lost, would have to pay damages and attorney costs. He said the ACLU might join in the suit, causing extensive legal bills.
Attorney Nelson said action can be taken if the street preachers block a street or are so menacing to people that it constitutes assault.
Ms. Robinson said she believes they are guilty of "verbal abuse."
Councilman Jack Benson said, "We have an ordinance against aggressive panhandling. Why can't we have an ordinance against aggressive prostelizing?"