Aids Activists, Feminists Protest Pope

As the popemobile drove along Fifth Avenue six floors below, two men climbed out a department store window, stood on a ledge and unfurled a banner.

“Condoms Save Lives,” the three-story-high banner proclaimed.

Boos rang out from the crowd that had gathered to see the pope Saturday as he headed to neighboring St. Patrick’s Cathedral to recite the rosary. One child said, “What’s that, Dad?” and the man responded, “Those are bad people.”

Police officers came out, dragged the AIDS activists inside and pulled the banner up to cheers from the crowd. Four others also were arrested. All were charged with criminal trespassing and reckless endangerment.

Atheists and abortion supporters also held demonstrations.

About 35 atheists protested on a sidewalk outside Central Park.

“He represents a medieval theology and we don’t feel that’s the way to solve the world’s problems,” said Ellen P. Johnson, outreach director of American Atheists Inc.

She said her group opposes the Catholic Church’s positions on reproductive and gay rights, and on tax exemptions for church properties.

About 500 people supporting gay and abortion rights marched from 42nd Street to 59th Street at Columbus Circle to hear Gloria Steinem, the editor of Ms. magazine, and others speak.

Steinem said she welcomed John Paul II, not as a pope but as a person because he represents only the handful of men - “not one woman whatsoever among them” - who elected him.

Steinem, citing an ABC-Washington Post poll that only 12 percent of Catholics believe an abortion is wrong under any circumstances, said the pope does not represent most Catholics in this country.

“We will live to see the day that St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to the skirt that he has on,” she said.