A statue of the pagan deity Baphomet, erected by the Satanic Temple outside the New Hampshire State House in Concord, has been destroyed shortly after its unveiling.
State Rep. Ellen Read, a Democrat who invited the installation, confirmed that the statue was toppled sometime between Sunday morning and Monday afternoon.
Photos of the statue, which was displayed next to a nativity scene, show the head and torso separated from the base.
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A nearby tablet listing the tenets of the Satanic Temple was also destroyed.
Concord police are investigating the incident, and no suspects have been identified at this time.
The statue was erected after Rep. Read, who represents Newmarket, collaborated with the Salem, Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple.
According to Read, the statue was intended to “celebrate science and the pursuit of knowledge” and honor Isaac Newton, rather than promote a specific religious agenda.
“I approached them as a person who cares about equal representation on public grounds for religions,” Read told WMUR.
The lawmaker said her decision was driven by a desire for fairness after being unsettled by other religious displays outside the State House during the holiday season.
BREAKING: The satanic statue erected at the New Hampshire State House has been DESTROYED! pic.twitter.com/E8zR9R0dQD
— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) December 13, 2024
However, the installation sparked significant backlash.
Critics, including Concord Mayor Byron Champlin, argued that the statue served more as a political statement than a genuine effort to promote religious equity.
“I opposed the permit because I believe the request was made not in the interest of promoting religious equity, but in order to drive an anti-religious political agenda,” Champlin said.
City officials approved the permit to avoid potential legal challenges, citing First Amendment requirements that mandate equal treatment for all religious displays on public property.
Rep. Read expressed disappointment over the statue’s destruction, calling the reaction “emotional” and “knee-jerk.”
“The idea that a mannequin and a goat mask would create all of this animosity,” Read told WMUR, adding that she spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the remains of the dismantled statue.
The lawmaker defended the installation, emphasizing that it did not mention other religions or aim to demean anyone’s beliefs.
However, opponents of the display viewed the statue as a provocative move, given its proximity to a nativity scene and the broader cultural significance of the holiday season.
The controversy has reignited debates over the limits of the First Amendment regarding religious displays on public property.
City officials have indicated they will review policies governing such displays before next year’s holiday season.
“The First Amendment doesn’t mean anything unless we’re actually making it work,” Read stated.
Mayor Champlin suggested the city could consider policy updates to address concerns about the appropriateness of certain displays while adhering to constitutional requirements.
As of now, it remains unclear whether the Satanic Temple or Rep. Read plans to re-erect the statue. The permit for the display remains valid through the end of the year.
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