After riot in Seattle, revivalist shuts down Hollywood Blvd.

By Abdul Masih —

A week after detonating a riot in Seattle, Ross Johnston held a prayer-and-praise event in Hollywood Saturday, shutting down Hollywood Boulevard. And he did without a permit.

He did it without a permit because the City of Los Angeles refused to grant them a permit. The city refused the Christian event one week after permitting the Gay Pride parade on the same street. The permit had been solicited three months beforehand. The city denied it just days before the scheduled event, Ross says.

“As Americans we live in the United States, we have the amazing Bill of Rights in the US Constitution, which means every person who is an American citizen has the right legally to actually express the freedom of
speech, the freedom of religion,” Ross said about his decision to continue the scheduled rally without the city’s permit. “So if one group or one person is allowed that, but not another, that is clear discrimination.”

Ross says his revivalist organization already counts with the same lawyer who took CA Gov. Newsome to the Supreme Court for shutting down churches during the Covid lockdowns. (Others, like Black Lives Matter and marijuana dispensaries, were NOT shut down during Covid in Los Angeles.) So if there are any fines from the City, they’re already lawyered up.

Ross was born by artificial insemination into a lesbian household. He loves his biological mother, and she contributes to his ministry. He excitedly received Jesus in high school and launched into doing street ministry and revival meetings in public spots.

Ross says he’s not trying to provoke sinners but simply bringing the gospel to where it is needed most. Revival broke out among the hippies and druggies during the Jesus Movement in the late 1960s. A new generation of sinners needs Jesus, he says.

“What happens when a real revival breaks out? What happens when real lost people by the thousands on Hollywood Boulevard, some not too happy, start encountering the presence of God, hear the gospel, see the
church outside the four walls?” Ross says. “You should have seen the faces on Hollywood Boulevard.”

At the same time, Christians should not be intimidated and should stand up for their Constitutional rights, Ross says.

“We have an entire pride festival with beer gardens, half naked people, live music vendors, but as soon as the Christians want to pray and want to lift up praises to God, (they deny the permit),” Ross says.

Ross says his team sent 60 volunteers to opposite intersections to re-direct traffic and not cause a traffic snarl. Since the City of Los Angeles refused the permit and didn’t assign traffic cops to the section called Hollywood, Ross said his team filled the void.