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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A small group of vitriolic hecklers and overt suspicion from one lawmaker have greeted hundreds of Muslims during their Texas Capitol lobbying day.
As the Council on American-Islamic Relations opened today's gathering on the Capitol steps, a female protester grabbed the microphone and declared, "Islam will never dominate in the United States, and by the grace of God it will not dominate Texas!"
The microphone was quickly wrestled back and a state trooper led her back to the crowd, but about two dozen protesters chanted throughout the hour-long rally.
Despite the hecklers, the nonprofit council continued its program. About 300 people attended the rally and then met with lawmakers to share their concerns.
Inside the Capitol, an Israeli flag — a symbol of support for the Jewish state — greeted visitors to Rep. Molly White's office. On Facebook, the Republican lawmaker posted that she was out of the office but gave her staff instructions to ask visiting Muslims "to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws."
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