Supreme Judicial Court Upholds Injunction Against Religious Statues in Quincy
The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has affirmed a preliminary injunction preventing the city of Quincy, Massachusetts, from installing two 10-foot-tall religious statues on the facade of its new public safety building. The statues, depicting Saint Michael and Saint Florian, were to be funded by taxpayers. Saint Michael, an archangel, is shown stepping on a demon, while Saint Florian, a Roman soldier, is depicted extinguishing a fire. Both figures are recognized saints in the Catholic Church and are symbolic for police officers and firefighters, representing bravery and honor. Fifteen Quincy residents and taxpayers filed a lawsuit against the city and its mayor, arguing that using public funds for and displaying these statues violates Article 3 of the Declaration of Rights, as amended by Article 11 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution. This article states that 'all religious sects and denominations… shall be equally under the protection of the law; and no subordination of any one sect or denomi... 
