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  Faithful Get Annoyed over Merchandise

By Jonathan Dart
Sydney Morning Herald

July 8, 2008

http://www.smh.com.au/news/worldyouyouthday/faithful-get-annoyed-over-merchandise/2008/07/07/1215282747311.html

THE first of the annoying T-shirt brigade has arrived at the official World Youth Day merchandising tent.

Alan Hockey and Michael Gravener - who help run the Share the Meal charitable group at St Vincent's Catholic Church in Redfern - said yesterday that they wanted to voice their protest against the commercialisation of World Youth Day.

Mr Gravener inspected official "I Love Jesus" T-shirts while wearing an orange T-shirt he had bought online, saying: "Where is Jesus in WYD08?"

"This is actually one of the first times I've actually seen Jesus mentioned in the whole promotion of the event," he said.

Mr Hockey said he would not buy any of the official merchandise."They're selling Guy Sebastian CDs but no one has stopped to ask what he actually practises. He's not Catholic - he's from the Hillsong Church and there's a big difference. We're Catholic and we will protest against anything that doesn't put Jesus at the centre of the faith."

Meanwhile, the owner of a shop selling protest T-shirts has received a telephone death threat.

Tim Boffa, of Bang-On T-shirts in Bondi Junction, began selling shirts emblazoned with the word "Annoying" after laws were introduced giving police powers to crack down on protesters at World Youth Day.

His shop is displaying a mannequin dressed in an "annoying" T-shirt, with the face of the Premier, Morris Iemma.

He has not had a police visit but he said someone rang threatening to kill him and his family and burn down his shop. "I find that really weird, because I haven't said anything to criticise the religion or the event or the Pope. It's a protest against the [new] laws."

 
 

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