Thousand Oaks: Protesters Clash Outside Godspeak Calvary Chapel
08.09.2020 | 9:00 AM | THOUSAND OAKS – A protest outside a church in response to an order for it to close got rowdy when protesters clashed, Sunday morning.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Godspeak Calvary Chapel in the Newbury Park area to protest a court order that required the church to close amid COVID-19 concerns.
The group assembled around 9:00 AM when the church’s first regular Sunday service is scheduled.
During the demonstration a scuffle broke out between the demonstrators and a group of counter-protesters.
The pastor of the church, Rob McCoy, has been under fire by government officials and was later sued by the county, who argued his continued indoor services amid the pandemic threatened public safety.
Some services were said to have had over 200 worshipers present, according to the county.
A court order in response to the county’s lawsuit came down on Friday when a judge ordered the church and Pastor McCoy to only hold services outdoors and to enforce social distancing and mask-wearing.
But the pastor vowed to continue the indoor services.
“[W]e will be violating the judge’s order, we will be open this Sunday,” McCoy said in a YouTube video.
It’s unclear what repercussions the church and pastor might face or whether they were successful in holding services inside.
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