San Francisco, USA - A Christian youth rally that drew more than 25,000 people to AT&T Park last weekend met resistance from city leaders and some residents over its conservative agenda in a largely liberal, gay-friendly metropolis.
The two-day "Battle Cry for a Generation" aimed at luring youths away from a popular culture that organizers said glamorizes drugs, violence and sex.
Similar rallies are set April 7-8 at Detroit's Ford Field and May 12-13 at Philadelphia's Wachovia Spectrum.
Ron Luce, whose Texas-based Teen Mania sponsors the events, urges a "reverse rebellion" against corrupting influences such as MTV and the online meeting hub, MySpace.com. The rallies featured Christian rock bands and promote a Christian alternative to MySpace.com, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Last week, the city's Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the "act of provocation" by an "anti-gay," "anti-choice" organization that aimed to "negatively influence the politics of America's most tolerant and progressive city."
Luce said it was the first time one of his meetings has been officially condemned.
When Luce led a pre-rally teen meeting outside City Hall, Democratic state Assemblyman Mark Leno told counter-protesters that Battle Cry was a "fascist mega-pep rally" and attending teens should "get out of San Francisco."