Religious men chant Lord’s Prayer at Newtown as backlash grows over The Project

A group of religious men marched down a busy street reciting the Rosary, as the backlash continues to grow after the offensive joke about Jesus told by a comedian who appears on The Project.

Up to 30 men sang the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ and ‘Hail Mary’ on Friday night accompanied by police officers along King Street in Newtown, Sydney.

The intimidating display came as calls grew to cancel The Project after gay comedian Reuben Kaye made an X-rated joke about Jesus on Tuesday.

“I love any guy who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more,” Kaye said in a joke that the hosts later had to apologize for.

The remark sparked outrage from the Muslim and Christian communities with the march along King Street being the latest expression of anger.

One of the protesters filmed the chanting and showed the group sitting close together with several masks hiding their faces.

Diners were visibly uncomfortable sitting outside restaurants along the street as their meals were interrupted by the chanting.

The group of men paused to form a circle as they recited the “Lord’s Prayer.”

The group then continued their march with several men wearing rosary beads around their necks.

A person in the front of the group is seen holding his rosary over his head.

Police officers escorted the group as they made their way through the busy street past multiple LGBTQI locations and the train station.

Images of the march circulated on social media with some saying they were upset by the group.

“It’s easy for me to sit here two suburbs away and joke about how incredibly stupid these guys are, but if I was in Newtown tonight and saw this I definitely would have felt threatened. This is not a protest, it’s harassment,” one wrote.

Other social media users expressed support but objected to the location of the march.

“These prayers should only have been outside of Chanel 10 and Chanel 10,” one wrote.

“You don’t have to lash out at others. God bless and pray for their conversion.”

A NSW police spokeswoman said no arrests have been made following the incident.

One of the protesters filmed the chanting and showed the group sitting close together with several masks hiding their features

The disturbing display came as calls grew to cancel The Project after gay comedian Reuben Kaye made an X-rated joke about Jesus on Tuesday

“Police spoke to a group of about 30 people who marched down the footpath on King Street, Newtown, before dispersing just before 9pm,” she said.

“While we do not comment on specific individuals or groups, the community can be assured that we will continue to monitor activity and take action where necessary.”

The NSW police spokeswoman said there were reports of an alleged attack at one location, but she was investigating whether it was linked to anyone involved in the march.

“Officers from the Inner West Police Area Command were told that two men were involved in an altercation in which one man was assaulted,” she said.

He didn’t need medical treatment. The investigation continues.’

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has revealed it has received hundreds of complaints from the public after The Project’s lewd ‘Jesus joke’ sparked widespread outrage.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, the media watchdog confirmed: ‘The ACMA has received 203 inquiries regarding an episode of The Project airing on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 featuring comedian Reuben Kaye.

‘Under the co-regulation system for broadcasters, complainants are initially referred to the broadcaster.

“If a complainant does not receive a response from the broadcaster within 60 days, or is not satisfied with the response they receive, they may submit their complaint to the ACMA for consideration.”